Urban Environment Lab
Today's Research on the Challenges of Sustainable Development
The current social context surrounding climate change is ushering in a new era of land use, planning, and development, one that reconsiders the role of natural disasters, natural resources, and environmental impacts on the communities in which we live. The Urban Environment Lab engages students, policy-makers, and research partners in collaborative projects and discussions on the determinants of hazard vulnerability, community resilience, sustainable development, and infrastructure adaptation at the intersection of the natural, social, and built environments.
State of the Planet
- From Mountain Regions to Island States: U.N. Celebrates First World Glacier Day March 28, 2025U.N. delegates and glaciologists convened to address the profound impacts of accelerating glacial melting, particularly for freshwater resources, mountain communities and small island states.Guest
- A Special Trip to Bangladesh March 25, 2025In Bangladesh, a large and growing population lives in one of the most dynamic and sensitive environments on Earth, subject to multiple natural disasters and threatened by climate change.Mike Steckler
- An MPA-ESP Student’s Path to Climate Policy and Environmental Justice March 24, 2025Fatou Kiné Gueye shares her perspective on climate action and how she plans to translate her coursework into meaningful action in her home country of Senegal.Guest
- China Authorizes Controversial Hydropower Project in Landslide-Prone Region of Tibet March 21, 2025Recent Chinese approval to construct the world’s largest hydropower dam in Tibet has sparked concerns on local displacement, downstream impacts and infrastructure longevity.Jenna Travers
- Why Sustainability Matters in Marathons March 19, 2025An M.S. in Sustainability Science graduate reflects on the pros and cons of running marathons—for people and the planet.Guest