An institute for advanced studies in urban development was established in the East China Normal University in Shanghai over the weekend.

As an academic platform, the institute aims to build itself as an influential thinktank in the field of China's urbanization studies.

"The rapid development of urbanization also produces inevitable problems, such as the marginalized population, unreasonable city layout, mismatched population and resources," said the former deputy mayor of Shanghai Hu Yanzhao, who now is the president of the institute.

Based in Shanghai, the institute will carry out related studies in the Yangtze River Delta area and the whole country. It is expected to become an important research base for urban development studies, he said.