University of Louisville
ER-15: Sustainability Research Identification

Sustainability research addresses one or more aspects of sustainability. Sustainability is the quality of a system such that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainability requires the reconciliation of environmental, social, and economic concerns.

Chad Frederick, a PhD student in Urban & Public Affairs with an interest in pedagogical approaches to sustainability, developed and implemented the methodology to conduct our most recent inventory of sustainability-related research at UofL, covering the years 2009-2011. We developed the list by searching our databases of research grants and publications for a variety of keywords (listed below), and then paring down the results to only those fitting our definition of sustainability research. We do not have an efficient system for tracking unpublished and non-grant-supported research, but we know many faculty are engaged in such research related to sustainability and we value their many contributions. Keyword Search Terms Employed: adaptive cycle adaptive reuse                      architecture - environmental aspects authenticity bicycle transit bioregionalism building materials carbon emissions carbon footprint city planning                         community development community gardens community partners complete streets disturbance eco-agriculture ecological ecological footprint ecology economic development          ecosystem ecotourism edible landscapes education energy conservation energy consumption environmental environmental change environmental education environmental law gentrification government policy green energy green movement green purchasing                   green rooftops green-washing interdisciplinary landscape architecture landscape urbanism laws and regulations LEED low-impact development mass transit multidisciplinary neighborhood networks new urbanism panarchy place making pollution                recycle recycling regional development renewable energy                  resilience rural development                 sense of place social change social justice social responsibility social-ecological system source reduction                    spiral dynamics sustainability sustainable agriculture sustainable architecture          sustainable design sustainable development sustainable energy                sustainable living transdisciplinary transportation triple bottom line urban urban agriculture urban canopy urban ecology urban forest urban renewal urban soils urbanism urbanization vulnerability walkability walking city waste management

Unfortunately, our inventory is not a complete accounting of all sustainability-related research at UofL. Rather, it represents our best available data, from an inventory of research grants and publications over the years 2009-2011. We do not have an efficient system for tracking unpublished and non-grant-supported research, but we know many faculty are engaged in such research related to sustainability and we value their many contributions.