Programs
The Sustainable Cities Initiative is a cross-disciplinary effort that integrates research, education, service, and public outreach around issues of sustainable city design. SCI works at a variety of scales, from regions to individual buildings actively seeking, through multiple perspectives and disciplines, solutions to sustainable city design problems.
SCI synthesizes existing faculty research work under a single theme, serves as a catalyst for expanded research and teaching, and brings this expertise to scholars, funders, project partners, and policy makers.
SCI programs focus on education, outreach, and service. Current programs include the Sustainable City Year Program, China Partnership and Activities and Experts-In-Residence.
Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP)
image courtesy of Dean Walton, UO Libraries
The Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP) is a partnership between SCI and one city in Oregon per academic year in which a number of courses from across the University focus on assisting that city with its sustainability goals and projects.
The Sustainable City Year Program faculty and students work with the partner city through a variety of studio projects and service learning programs to:
- provide students with a real world project to investigate;
- apply their training; and
- provide real service and movement to a local city ready to transition to a more sustainable and accessible future.
One-page description of the Sustainable City Year Program (PDF)
Resources
- Resources and Information related to Springfield (UO Libraries web page)
- Access to Course Folder for Springfield background documents
- City of Springfield's web site for SCYP
Sustainable Cities Initiative China Partnership and Activities
In August of 2011, a Sustainable Cities Initiative delegation, including Robert Liberty, Nico Larco, Yizhao Yang, Deni Ruggeri and Kelly Clifton (PSU) visited China. While there, they presented information on the Sustainable Cities Initiative and the Sustainable City Year Program to the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, the Chengdu Planning and Design Institute and to the Second Annual Beijing Planning and Design Summit. The delegation also visited major landscape architecture projects in Beijing, Tangshan and Caofeidian Ecocity.
At that visit, SCI was able to reach out to discuss exciting partnership opportunities with China. The China Partnership events promise to be an exciting addition to SCI's endeavors.
SCI China Partnership and Activities
Other International Programs
The program is an intensive seminar held in key urban locations in Western Europe. Participants will study bicycle planning, design, policy and culture as a sustainable and economically viable form of transportation. The program will focus on the practices and policies that foster safe, convenient and accessible bicycle infrastructure and the underlying culture that supports a high rate of bicycle use. Denmark and the Netherlands became great places to bike, and this course will explore how and why this transformation happened and will challenge students to think about how to make similar change within the United States context.
Summer in Denmark and the Netherlands additional information
SCI Ecuador EcoCity Summer Program with Robert Young and Gerardo Sandoval
“Breaking borders: creating bioregional communities,” a summer study abroad course in the city of Bahía de Caráquez, Ecuador, will present sustainable development as a synthesis of vital issues in community regeneration. The course will examine dichotomies such as the city and the countryside, the environment and the economy, the “first” and the “third world,” and theory and practice, to explore a new redevelopment approach. Since all of these concerns are interconnected, the work of developers and planners must take into account the entire planning context in order to be effective. While studying in Ecuador, students and faculty will join San Francisco-based NGO, Planet Drum Foundation, and the residents of Bahía de Caráquez, to plan and implement restoration projects focused on regenerating the city and region’s economy based on ecological principles.
SCI Ecuador EcoCity Summer Program additional information
Transportation Projects
SCI emphasizes the importance of transportation in our research and work. We have ongoing research projects and planning meetings to engage with decision-makers in examining the most effective practices On Dec. 9, 2011, SCI hosted a transportation investment workshop. Workshop participants looked at the tough choices we face in light of shrinking revenues.
See Transportation Projects page for more details.
SCI Experts-In-Residence Program
SCI is a hub of research related to sustainable cities. To promote the continuous interchange of ideas, national experts working to translate sustainability ideas into practice take up residence on the Eugene or Portland campuses for three day sessions scheduled throughout the year. During this mini-residence, these experts:
1. Engage intimately with students and faculty in the classroom, through brown bags, in design charrettes, competitions, etc.
2. Conduct workshops for private and public sector organizations throughout Oregon; and
3. Deliver public community lectures.
If you are interested in visiting the SCI and the University of Oregon through the ‘Experts-in-Residence’ Program, please contact SCI.
Solution Summit
A Solution Summit is a working symposium of typically 15-20 selected researchers, decision makers and stakeholders. Participants have a direct interest in the issue and are committed to eliminating obstacles toward more sustainable policies and practices.
For information about the Sustainable Cities Initiative's Solution Summits, please download the information sheet below: