It is difficult, if not impossible, to find corners of the planet not impacted by the footprint of humanity. The infrastructure of our lifestyle infringes on wild landscapes and draws extensively on limited natural resources that are imported from afar. How we choose to build and run our communities defines our environmental impacts and the social well-being of the population locally and globally. Researchers at the University of Utah are exploring how approaches such as ecological planning, green architecture, distributed infrastructure, and active transportation can help to create the sustainable cities of tomorrow and promote environmental justice. Partnering with local government, the University of Utah is committed to continuing to utilize the campus as a living laboratory to test and develop best practices and serve the city with a diversity of community partnerships.
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The Center for Ecological Planning and Design works to apply principles of urban ecology, environmental planning, and design and engineering to generate sustainable solutions in planning for equitable, vibrant, and healthy human habitats.
Metropolitan Research Center - The MRC engages in pioneering research on urban and regional economies, quality of life, and the physical environment.
The Consortium for Dark Sky Studies (CDSS) is an interdisciplinary, multi-institutional research group based in the College of Architecture and Planning at the U. It is he first academic center in the world dedicated to discovering, developing, communicating and applying knowledge pertaining to the quality of the night skies.