Center for Urban Environmental Research (CUER) (1985 to present)

Established in 1985 as the Institute of Urban Environmental Research and recently re-chartered by the University, The Center for Urban Environmental Research (CUER) was created to provide opportunities for Geography faculty and students to engage in innovative research and actual urban development activities that exceed the normal boundaries of academic courses. Under the direction of Professor Dorn McGrath until June 2003, CUER is a vehicle for externally funded research, an opportunity for faculty release time and a financial support for students. Furthermore, it gives students and teachers the opportunity to fulfill the University’s commitment to community service. Many projects established under the aegis of CUER have evolved into substantial long-term research and development activities in the Greater Washington area. These include:

• A functional plan for parks, trails and open spaces for Annapolis, MD.
• An official Small Area Plan for the Anacostia sector of Washington D.C.
• A video program on land use and transportation relationships in Washington, D.C.
• A complete Ward Plan for Ward 6 in Washington, D.C. involving a population of 80,000.
• Historic preservation studies in Washington D.C.’s Ward 6.
• Specialized studies of affordable housing and homelessness, housing rehabilitation, site development.
• Technical support and direction for the Loudoun County Environmental Indicators Project (LEIP).
• Multidisciplinary effort to establish and monitor baseline data in Loudoun county.

CUER is an integral part of the Geography Department’s focus on the urban environment at both the undergraduate and graduate level. New faculty members are increasingly interested in research and instruction at this crucial nexus. With the retirement of Prof. Dorn McGrath, CUER has elected a new Director, Dr. Lisa Benton-Short. She is prepared to continue the excellence in directed research that CUER has delivered, but she is also interested in initiating projects that more closely align with the research expertise and interests of new faculty.

Over the next five years, CUER will continue to develop and produce research reports in several areas including:

Globalization, Cities and Immigration (2002 to present)

This broad research topic is an area of interest for several Geography faculty members: Drs. Benton-Short, Chacko, and Price, and several faculty outside of the Geography Department. Drs. Chacko and Price, along with Dr. Audrey Singer of the Brookings Institute, have completed extensive work on immigration to the Washington, D.C. area. As they continue to develop this research project, CUER believes this timely and critical issue would be of interest to regional area schools, housing authorities, real estate developers and social service providers. We plan to contact these organizations to propose the funding of directed research projects in these areas. In addition, Drs. Benton-Short and Price have begun a long-term research project analyzing globalization and immigration in cities around the world. This area of research is of increasing importance to urban planners, urban policy makers, social service providers, and educators.

Urban Environmental Change (1999 to present)

This broad research topic links closely to research interests of many faculty members. Dr. Cheung’s research expertise on the urban heat island effect in the greater Washington, D.C. area has already generated significant grant monies from outside GW. Dr. Benton-Short’s research on the qualitative analysis of the politics and power relationships on issues such as the protection of open space, urban development, and urban revitalization efforts may generate interest among urban planners, park administrators and citizens’ groups in the region. Topics such as these may prove to be of interest for further funding of directed research projects.

CUER is confident that opportunities to fund directed research for both GW faculty and students will continue to expand over the upcoming years.

 

Loudoun County Environmental Indicators Projects (LEIP) (1999 to 2004)

LEIP began in 1998 and conducted research on selected environmental indicators for a five-year project. Part of the research was funded by Loudoun County, and part of the research monies were raised through a variety of sources including foundations, private donors and private sources. In addition to providing an annual report, which analyzed changes in the environment, LEIP also produced a newsletter, which circulated to over 500 people and carried articles on faculty research on environmental monitoring efforts in the county. The LEIP project is on hiatus 2003-2004 while the Geography Department conducts a faculty search. The current search is for an urban geographer with excellent GIS skills. Future searches will be for someone with expertise in remote sensing and environmental change. We anticipate that these hires would have the expertise and interest in participating in CUER and LEIP. We are currently conducting research for the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation. Professor Cheung and a graduate student in Geography, are in the process of examining spatial patterns of the groundwater solutes, and comparing these with land cover, bedrock geology, soil type and other relevant parameters. The research and analysis will be completed by the end of academic year 2003-2004.

Transportation Research Board of the National Research Council (1985 to 2005)

GWU, through CUER, is the official depository of the Transportation Research Board publications for the District of Columbia. Dr. Benton-Short has been nominated to serve as the Transportation Research Board Representative at The George Washington University. The Transportation Research Board (TRB) is a unit of the National Research Council, a private, nonprofit institution that provides expertise in science and technology to the government, public and scientific communities. Each month, CUER receives more than seven different transportation journals, newsletters, and special reports that document the cutting edge of transportation technology and policy. Currently, Dr. Larry Marcus, a part-time faculty member in the Geography Department, uses these resources for teaching undergraduate and graduate Transportation Geography courses. One goal of CUER is to make a stronger connection between this large and impressive resource and faculty research in urban transportation.