In recent years, he has worked on eco- and smart- city research projects in EU and China, low-carbon town planning projects in China, urban modelling of residential neighbourhoods and studies related to green infrastructure of cities particularly in the context of developing countries. Ali’s research interests are in the fields of urban design and planning, exploring themes of ‘Sustainable Urbanism’, ‘Urban Regeneration’, ‘Urban Housing and blocks’ and ‘Integrated Urban Design’.