About The CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities

More than 50% of the world’s population now lives in cities. And this number is only growing. How do we meet not only the basic needs of this new urban world, but actually surpass them, creating vibrant, sustainable and strong communities?

Urban life is often thought of as devoid of the natural, but cities may hold the potential to create true environmental sustainability if managed correctly. We seek to create awareness and understanding of the connections between the everyday lives of urban citizens and their natural world. With New York as our learning laboratory, we aim to understand the needs for a sustainable future for cities worldwide. Imagine cities that are as green as a forest, streets that are as pleasant as beaches, communities that inspire and revive their citizens.

Promoting Research

The Core Programs: An Overview
Urban sustainability encompasses many elements. The physical and biological environment, the built environment, economic activity, and cultural choices all interact to shape the city as artifact and as concept, from the scale of the neighborhood to the scale of the global network of cities. The Institute has developed three Core Projects, each led by seasoned researchers, to serve as umbrella projects for research, education and outreach. They have been broadly conceived so as to generate a range of questions that will engage varying disciplines and constituencies, linking researchers to students, fellow researchers and the public. The Core Programs will evolve to reflect the evolution of public and academic interest.