International Research Centres
National Centre for Geographic Information and Analysis
The University at Buffalo has been prominent in GI Science research and training since the mid 1970s, and is home to one of the three sites of the National Centre for Geographic Information and Analysis (NCGIA). The NCGIA is an independent research consortium whose primary mandate is to conduct basic research in geographic information science and its related technology.
Web site:http://www.ncgia.ucsb.edu
The Geographical Studies and Research Centre
The Geographical Studies and Research Centre was established by action of the Board of Regents, Eastern Kentucky University, on March 23, 1967. The Centre, in conjunction with the Department of Geography and Planning, provides a variety of services and technical assistance to public officials and/or governmental agencies at the local, regional, and state levels. The chair of the Department and a faculty member provide guidance to the Centre as CoDirectors. The staff includes a full-time GIS Administrator and various student employees depending upon projects and funding. Funding is primarily by external grants and contracts, but there is also monetary support from the University. This support is normally utilized to publish an annual Directory of College Geography in the United States.
Web site:www.geography.eku.edu/GSRC/
Centre for Urban Policy and Research
For four decades, the Centre for Urban Policy Research has served the nation with basic and applied research on a broad spectrum of public policy issues. CUPR, a component of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, is nationally and internationally recognized for its research on affordable housing, land use policy, the arts and cultural policy, development impact analysis, the costs of sprawl, transportation information systems, environmental impacts, and community economic development. CUPR has developed a wide array of fiscal, environmental, transportation, and quality of life impact models that have been used in major public policy evaluations throughout the United States.
Centre for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis
CRSSA's active research and development program focuses on advancing the application of various geo-spatial technologies including remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS). CRSSA also develops spatial-statistical analysis/modeling techniques to the environmental, agricultural and natural resource sciences and management.
Web site:http://deathstar.rutgers.edu/
Qualitative Research in Geography Specialty Group
The aim of the research group is to promote the use and understanding of qualitative research approaches, methods, and tools for purposes of education, research, and public service in the discipline of geography. The group is to work closely with other specialty groups to promote common interests and develop intra-disciplinary projects. The group is further charged with bridging the perceived gap between quantitative and qualitative research through dialogue, debate, and establishment of common ground for the purpose of enhancing rigorous research across the spectrum.
Centre for International Development (Harvard University)
CID has been established with one overriding conceptual notion: the need for cross-disciplinary approaches to the challenges of sustainable development. In virtually every area that now challenges the globe in sustainable development from the need to ignite economic growth to the imperative of delivering an adequate level of social services to the poor; from the preservation of biodiversity to the limitation and management of climate change; from the control of emerging and re-emerging infectious disease to the limitation of environmental stresses resulting from historically unprecedented population increase ?solutions are possible, but will require breakthroughs in approaches at the cutting edge of the hard sciences, the social sciences, ethics and politics. CID exists to bridge the gaps between disciplines, pulling together Harvard top minds as they, in collaboration with colleagues throughout the world, push forward the science of explaining the sources of and remedies for entrenched global poverty and the political and environmental circumstances that surround it.
Spatial Analysis Research Centre
The Spatial Analysis Research Center (SARC) at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota is the leading provider of geo-spatial technology education in the upper Midwest. The Center cooperates with the Department of Geography and other academic departments and campuses to provide degree programs for both undergraduates and graduates. In addition, the Center works closely with Sponsored Programs to provide employment and educational opportunities for students through grants and contracts.
Web site:http://www.stcloudstate.edu/sarc
Centre for Spatial Analysis
The Centre for Spatial Analysis promotes geographic thinking and spatial reasoning through research, education, outreach, and other collaborative activities.
The Bruton Centre
Established in 1989 with a gift from the David Bruton, Jr. Charitable Trust and housed in the school of Social Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas, the Bruton Centre conducts basic and applied research on the trends, forces, and public policies that pertain to urban and regional development. Known as a leader in utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the Centre performs grant and contract research with local, national and international organizations. The Centre also creates learning opportunities for graduate students, who receive hands-on training through its research projects
Centre for the Study of Urbanisation and Internal Migration in Developing Countries
The Centre for the Study of Urbanization and Internal Migration in Developing Countries at the University of Texas at Austin is a response to the widespread interest in the emerging patterns of population distribution in developing countries, and the relationship of those patterns to the political, economic and social change within the nation-state. The aim of the Centre is to conduct research and training initiatives on urbanization and internal migration by providing financial support for faculty researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students. The Centre is also helping to support international collaboration with research centres through Latin America.
Centre for Urban and Regional Affairs
The Centre for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) is an all-University applied research and technology centre at the University of Minnesota that connects faculty and students with non-profit organizations, ethnic and racial minority groups, businesses, rural towns, inner-city neighbourhoods, suburban communities, local governments, and public institutions in Minnesota.
Web site:http://www.cura.umn.edu
Centre for Urban and Regional Studies
The Centre for Urban and Regional Studies (CURS) at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill serves as a campus centre for research on urban and regional affairs, drawing the attention of both faculty and students to a wide variety of issues and problems faced by our nation's cities and regions. It is the second oldest, university-based, urban research centre in the country. The Centre is administratively located within the Department of City and Regional Planning.
The Center's mission is to promote and support within UNC-Chapel Hill, high-quality basic and applied research on urban, regional and rural planning and policy issues. The Center seeks to generate new knowledge of urban and regional processes and problems and ultimately to improve living conditions in our communities. This is done by involving the University's faculty and graduate students in large, multidisciplinary research projects and smaller, more narrowly focused projects. The Center's mission also includes promoting the use of the research it facilitates.
Web site:http://curs.unc.edu
Centre for Urban and Regional Analysis
The primary mission of this Centre will be to conduct research on urban and regional issues, contributing expertise to analysis at the city, state, regional, national, and even international scales. Because of the importance of urban quality-of-life to the University's outreach mission, this Centre will also make substantive contributions to several local constituencies while making use of local experiences to inform and enrich conceptual and theoretical studies. We aim to provide a cohesive urban and regional policy presence for The Ohio State University at the local, state, national and international levels.
Web site:http://cura.osu.edu
Centre for Urban Policy and Research
For four decades, the Centre for Urban Policy Research has served the nation with basic and applied research on a broad spectrum of public policy issues. CUPR, a component of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, is nationally and internationally recognized for its research on affordable housing, land use policy, the arts and cultural policy, development impact analysis, the costs of sprawl, transportation information systems, environmental impacts, and community economic development. CUPR has developed a wide array of fiscal, environmental, transportation, and quality of life impact models that have been used in major public policy evaluations throughout the United States.
Institute Urban and Regional Development
The Institute of Urban and Regional Development (IURD) serves faculty and students of the University of California, Berkeley, conducting research into processes of urban and regional growth and decline, and effects of governing policies on the patterns and processes of development. Institute research is supported by federal and state government agencies and by private foundations.
Web site:http://www-iurd.ced.berkeley.edu/
Centre for Urban Studies (Wayne State University)
For more than 30 years, the Centre for Urban Studies has been engaged in cutting-edge social science research and service. Often, the Centre collaborates with WSU faculty to combine their substantive expertise with the methodological skills of Centre staff. They also work closely with community organizations and local governments to answer key questions about the metropolitan area and about policy or organizational issues. Centre staff are skilled in techniques of demographic analysis, mapping, evaluation, sample surveys, qualitative data collection and policy analysis. The Centre holds expertise in community development, urban studies, demography, economic development, public safety, disabilities, and education.
Web site:http://www.cus.wayne.edu/
Centre for Urban Studies
The Centre for Urban Studies, established in 1966 under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, is a multidisciplinary research institute located within the College of Urban and Public Affairs. The Centre’s primary research emphases are in urban policy analysis and in urban and regional planning.
Other areas of research include the following:
- Urban Services
- Determinants of Property Value
- Transportation
- Regional Development and Economic Analysis
- Geographic Information Systems
- Regional Decision-Making
- Solid Waste, Waste Prevention, and Recycling
The Spatial Analysis Centre
The Spatial Analysis Centre uses computerized geographic information to track cultural and natural resources, detect trends over time, and model ecological processes. The key to this technology is the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) software. GIS provides a look at Yellowstone's resources through a multi-feature, multi-dimensional view, allowing for analysis of park resources from a completely new perspective. Park managers use the results of the centre’s analysis to aid decision-making concerning park resources.
The Community & Environment Spatial Analysis Centre
CommEn Space specializes in working with non-profit organizations and regularly partners with environmental and community groups to produce maps, landscape analysis and to develop custom data. Because our partners include groups with no experience using GIS and maps as well as groups with sophisticated abilities and experience using technology and data, we offer a range of services.
These include:
- Mapping: We produce high quality paper and digital map products that our partners use to tell their story or to plan their work.
- Conservation Planning: Working closely with project managers, executive staff or board members, we help conservation groups find ways to apply GIS and its related technologies to their work conserving land, protecting species or advocating for emerging issues.
- Data & Analyses: Often we find that groups have specialized information needs; the data required to accomplish their goals isn’t readily available. We have an outstanding track record of producing customized geospatial data to meet conservation efforts.
- Special Initiatives: We are proud to join forces with members of the regional funding community in developing several programs aimed at bringing key tools and resources to targeted members of the regional conservation community.
Web site:http://www.commenspace.org
Centre for Spatially Integrated Social Science
CSISS is founded on the principle that analyzing social phenomena in space and time enhances our understanding of social processes. Hence, CSISS cultivates an integrated approach to social science research that recognizes the importance of location, space, spatiality, and place.The goal of CSISS is to integrate spatial concepts into the theories and practices of the social sciences by providing infrastructure to facilitate: (1) the integration of existing spatial knowledge, making it more explicit, and (2) the generation of new spatial knowledge and understanding.
Web site:http://www.csiss.org
Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis
The Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA) is an initiative within University College London to develop emerging computer technologies in several disciplines which deal with geography, space, location, and the built environment. CASA is run under the Directorship of Michael Batty, Professor of Spatial Analysis and Planning (UCL). The kinds of computation involved cover geographic information systems (GIS), computer-aided architectural design, spatial analysis and simulation, and methodologies for planning and decision support.
Web site:http://www.casa.ucl.ac.uk/about/
Research Centre for Regional Geography
The Research Centre for Regional Geography was established in April 1986 as an interfaculty research facility. It was originally the Research and Resource Unit for Regional Geography in the Faculty of Letters. The Centre conducts research on overseas regional geography, collects materials and develops analytical techniques for geographical information.
Web site:http://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp
Korea Research Institute for Human Settlement
Launched in 1978 as a non-profit organization, KRIHS has been undertaking national territorial planning and research activities to achieve a balanced territory where urban and rural areas can prosper together, a unified territory where South and North Korea are integrated and a competitive territory that helps the nation survive in the global competition. It also pays due attention to environmental concerns over the deterioration of national environment that arises in the process of territorial development.
Web site:www.krihs.re.kr
Urban Research Centre Fukuoka
Urban Research Centre, Fukuoka, a non-profit organization, was established as a centre for the study of urban management and policies, and their impact upon the future.
Web site:www1k.mesh.ne.jp/urc/urc_info.html
