Association of Pacific Rim Universities
Sustainable Cities and Landscapes (APRU-SCL)
Humanity is 55% urban, and will be 68% by 2050. If we're to live more lightly on this planet, it will be by making our cities cleaner, greener, and more livable. The world's largest cities are in Pacific Rim societies, so the Association of Pacific Rim Universities' solutions for city-landscape sustainability are solutions for the whole world.
Our Mission
To drive place-based innovation and collaboration in sustainable cities and landscapes through education, research, and policy impact to create resilient, equitable, and vibrant communities.
About the APRU-SCL Program
The Association of Pacific Rim Universities Sustainable Cities and Landscapes Program (APRU-SCL) is a network hosted by the University of Oregon and co-led by program directors at the University of Oregon and the University of Michigan. It unites researchers, policymakers, and thought leaders from 22 member universities to address the challenges of urban sustainability.
The program focuses on the interdependence of cities and their surrounding landscapes, working to mitigate the environmental impacts of rapid urbanization: rising air temperatures, altered water cycles, and disrupted ecological processes. Through cross-disciplinary collaboration, it explores city-landscape interactions, compares regional practices, and develops solutions to improve sustainability across Asia Pacific cities.
Our Cross-Disciplinary Guiding Research Principles
- We seek broad geopolitical representation across the Pacific Rim.
- We respect the different understandings and contexts that shape sustainability.
- We address the needs of underrepresented communities and vulnerable populations.
- We recognize climate change as a grand challenge for human societies and earth systems.
- We want our work to be transformative.
SCL Program Contributions
Since its founding, APRU-SCL has grown into a community of more than 800 scholars and practitioners, with major publications, field schools, and policy impact across the Pacific Rim.
Contact
Housed in the University of Oregon's Global Studies Institute, APRU SCL research and programming bring together faculty, students, practitioners, and policymakers from fields ranging from architecture and planning to environmental justice and sustainability.
Email sclhub@uoregon.edu