University of Chicago Urban Education Institute

Our mission is to discover and create new knowledge of living systems, to preserve and communicate knowledge through education, and to nurture and sustain a community of scholars. These scholars pursue this mission through research, the education of basic scientists, physicians, and others interested in living things, and through enlightened and compassionate care of patients in a humane, academic environment.

We have a long and rich history of discovery. Our academic departments have each developed and sustained outstanding programs of research and training in a broad range of programs. These are further enhanced by interdisciplinary committees, centers, and institutes. Unique among our peers, our Pritzker School of Medicine and basic biological science programs are housed in one division, allowing for strong collaborations between basic science and clinical research. Faculty and students interact across programs and disciplines, creating collaborative and innovative approaches to the study of complex problems.

UChicago Urban: Knowledge. Practice. Partnership.

UChicago Urban is an interdisciplinary commitment to address urban questions and enhance urban life. Together, our research and practice have a positive and lasting impact on the lives of people in cities around the world.

 he Promise of Cities

Rapid urbanization in many regions of the world presents challenges and opportunities. UChicago Urban is focused on the possibilities, from better health care to more effective systems of justice. By studying and understanding the dynamics of cities, and educating the next generation of leaders to address their needs, UChicago Urban is helping to harness the potential of urbanization.

The Power of Evidence

UChicago scholars take a rigorous approach to understanding the dynamics of cities and urban life. Our faculty, students, and researchers challenge conventional wisdom to advance new ways of thinking about urban challenges and opportunities.

 Interdisciplinary and Collaborative

UChicago has always understood that drawing on diverse viewpoints and perspectives can stimulate breakthroughs on complex challenges. To realize the promise of cities in all their complexity, we need perspectives from multiple fields of research, from inside and outside academia, from citizens and governments, in Chicago and beyond.

  

Enriching People's Lives

Our effort to understand and bring improvements to cities includes the people who live in them. Powerful community partnerships, coupled with our persistent pursuit of knowledge that leads to better solutions, fuel our commitment to enhance city life from pre-K–12 education to energy and the environment, violence reduction to housing, criminal justice reform, and many other vital areas.

 From Local to Global

Building on the University’s long tradition of civic engagement and global scholarship—including at our global Centers in Beijing, Delhi, Hong Kong, and Paris—UChicago Urban studies cities, tests solutions, and creates substantive partnerships on the ground: locally, nationally, and around the globe. These collaborations and the lessons they reveal can be replicated and scaled to have a positive impact in cities worldwide.

 Experienced and Committed

The University of Chicago is enriched by and invested in the city we call home. For more than 125 years, Chicago has inspired our questions and our creativity. In return, our work has contributed to the city's advancements in myriad ways: advancing our understanding of city life and its challenges, pioneering professional academic programs that educate new cadres of leaders to tackle urban social problems and opportunities, sparking connections for local artists and entrepreneurs, and supporting economic vitality as the largest employer on Chicago’s South Side. This engagement facilitates the flow of ideas, creates substantive partnerships, and produces lasting benefits for Chicago and other metropolitan areas.

UChicago Urban builds on this experience and expands our commitment to realizing the promise of Chicago and cities around the world.