The Institute of Urban and Regional Development (IURD), a campuswide organized research unit, conducts interdisciplinary research and policy analysis to deepen society’s understanding of the dynamics of communities, cities and regions and informs public policy at local, state and national levels.

As urbanization has rapidly increased around the world, and with it associated problems of housing, sprawl, transportation, environmental quality, poverty and physical decline in inner cities, the demand for IURD’s work has steadily risen since its inception over 40 years ago. With its work rooted first and foremost in the social sciences, IURD has increasingly become the access point to the university, providing expert comment and assistance on emerging urban problems and proposed solutions—to public agencies, the media, foundations, community leaders and citizens—as well as the broker to assist those in the university who want to work on practical, real-world metropolitan problems in their teaching and research.