By sustainability RCUS means not only surviving climate change and other ecological disasters, but also solving other urban problems that have predated our awareness about ecological issues. Nevertheless, we do believe that the awareness about ecology and new production of knowledge that it has sparked have created a new perspective and opportunities for conceptualising our actions differently to solve those other outstanding urban problems such as poverty, justice, equity, pluralism, inclusivity, etc. Indeed, they make possible a new way of forming cities. However, it is also realised that much more new research and knowledge are needed to change many things.

RCUS wishes to focus on cities as human territories that amalgamate most, if not all, of contemporary and future human problems. In 2007 the world has passed the irreversible 50% urbanisation rate, due mostly to the highest rates in cities of developing countries. RCUS also looks at cities as inseparable to regions with all, different rates of urbanisation. RCUS is looking out to the whole South  East Asia and beyond, while based firmly in Indonesia.

RCUS is shaped by the different experiences and backgrounds of its co-founders who have been doing a multitude of research, capacity building and policy advocacy in more than three decades. They have some professional working experiences in the fields of good governance, arts and culture, heritage, development strategy, and post-disaster reconstruction.

As we learn also by doing we realise that changes require designed steps, bigger magnitude and collaboration, long-term commitments, perseverance, and hence serious organising. We wish to combine research, capacity building and policy advocacy to make our efforts more effective.

We look forward to collaborating creatively with as many partners as possible.