Stanley specializes in social and political aspects of urban and regional planning. He obtained his Bachelor of Social Sciences from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Master of Science in Urban Planning from the University of Hong Kong and PhD from the London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London. He is a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute as well as the Hong Kong Institute of Planners. Since graduation, he has been working in the areas of teaching, research and consultancy. His current research interests are urban planning and real estate development in China Mainland and Hong Kong.