Contact: Dr. Steven A. Moore, Co-director, [ samoore at mail.utexas.edu]
Website: http://soa.utexas.edu/csd/index
Design/Build students working on the second house built through the Alley Flat Initiative, a collaborative program to build more affordable, sustainable homes in Austin.
Mission: “The mission of the Center for Sustainable Development (CSD) is to lead the study and practice of sustainable development in Texas, the nation and the world through complementary programs of research, education and community outreach.”
The Big Picture
The Center for Sustainable Development (CSD) is part of the School of Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin. The CSD develops creative, balanced, and achievable solutions to the physical and social challenges facing the planning, construction, and preservation of buildings, neighborhoods, and regions. The CSD works to better understand the connections between environment, economic prosperity, and social justice through a diversity of projects, interdisciplinary teaching, and ongoing workshops.
The CSD core interests are:
- Ecology – encompassing both ecological planning techniques and green building systems.
- Social Equity – ensuring that all people, including future generations, gain adequate access to vital natural and human resources.
- Economy – understanding economic development, job creation and public finance as a primary form of sustenance for the development of healthy communities.
- Design – including both the contemporary aesthetics and the vernacular cultural practices that stimulate, enhance and empower our surroundings with meaning.
- Policy Making – applying the ethics of sustainability in pragmatic, sensible and balanced ways that can be operationalized by our civic leaders.
Programs and Services
Research
Research is a vital part of the CSD. Research projects that are through or in conjunction with the CSD reflect the desire to intergrate the CSD core interests. The CSD research projects aspire to push boundaries while contributing to the larger goals of climate change, economic development, and social/environmental justice.
The CSD hosts symposia throughout the year in order to share the most advance research being conducted through the Center. The CSD also offers a working paper series, several working groups, the Snell Scholars, the Thermal Lab, and the Living Lab.
Education
In addition to involving top students in research projects and outreach endeavors, the CSD offers several conventional educational programs.
- Portfolio Program on Sustainability allows students to focus their studies within any graduate degree program (not limited to the School of Architecture) around the issues of sustainability.
- Sustainable Cities Doctoral Research Initiative focuses on the integration of cutting edge research and practice in the fields of urban planning, architecture, environmental and architectural engineering, landscape architecture, urban design, community engagement and public policy.
- Film Series offers sustainability-related movies, documentaries and short films.
- The CSD also offers lectures and teaching tools.
Outreach
Students and faculty affiliated with the CSD often partner with community residents and organizations on the research and development for new solutions to the challenges facing the community.
Community partners include:
- American YouthWorks
- Austin Community Design and Development Center
- Austin Energy
- City of Austin
- Central Texas Sustainability Indicators Project
- Frameworks Community Development Corporation
- Guadalupe Neighborhood Development Corporation
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- People Organized in Defense of the Earth and her Resources (PODER)
- Texas Low Income Housing Information Service
- Zavala Elementary School
Zero Carbon Communities Symposium : Introductions from UTSOA on Vimeo.
