Sustainable Cities Institute

The Sustainable Cities Institute (SCI) is an applied think tank  that focuses on sustainability and cities through applied research, teaching, and community partnerships. Researchers work across disciplines that match the complexity of cities to address sustainability challenges, from regional planning to building design and from enhancing engagement of diverse communities to understanding the impacts on municipal budgets from disruptive technologies and many issues in between.

Urbanism Next Center

The Urbanism Next Center at the University of Oregon is the source for information about the potential impacts of emerging technologies — autonomous vehicles, E-commerce and the sharing economy— on city development, form, and design and the implications for sustainability, resiliency, equity, the economy, and quality of life.  Urbanism Next staff, researchers, and students engage in: 1) short-term and long-term research; 2) advising and consulting directly with cities; 3) partnering with others in the academic, public, private, and non-governmental sectors to understand new trends, opportunities, and threats; and 4) are developing a national clearinghouse of information on these interconnected topics.  Visit Urbanism Next for more information, including a graphic summary of many topics being addressed, a video describing the work, and a collection of white papers and research reports developed so far.

National Institute for Transportation and Communities


The National Institute for Transportation and Communities (NITC) is one of five U.S. Department of Transportation national university transportation centers.  The University of Oregon is one of six members, along with the University of Utah, University of Arizona, Portland State University, University of Texas at Arlington, and Oregon Tech, and many researchers have received research support from NITC to address one of its main themes of: increase access to opportunities, improve multi-modal planning and shared use of infrastructure, advance innovation and smart cities, and develop data, models and tools.  NITC also provides student scholarships, dissertation fellowships, and support for campus-based student organizations.

School of Planning, Public Policy and Management (PPPM)

The School of Planning, Public Policy and Management is a national leader known for academic rigor, intellectual leadership, stellar evidence-based research, innovative applied instruction and its inclusive and equitable climate.