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The Community Engagement, Design and Research Center (CEDaR) partners with Colorado and abroad communities to help build resilient and equitable cities and neighborhoods. CEDaR’s goal is to stimulate research and teaching on critical urban challenges, leading to innovations in design, policy and programs. Our work is rooted in a philosophy of engaged research integrated with service.

A research center in CU Boulder's Program in Environmental Design 

 

 

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Past Events

Community Design Workshop

Students discuss projects in Ponderosa Praxis.
Local governments and community organizations, consider collaborating with CEDaR on a Community Design Workshop for your town or neighborhood! The workshop brings student and faculty research and creativity to projects that integrate public art, urban design and community engagement around neighborhood and commercial district revitalization.  

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Community Voices

Peggy Kuhn in front of her manufactured home.
Community Voices explores critical issues in manufactured housing (MH) communities through stories of leadership by MH park residents, especially grassroot activists committed to change. The project is designed to share information among manufactured housing communities about how they address issues and communicate the challenges faced by these communities to policymakers and others in Colorado. CU Boulder students are trained to research, conduct interviews and write stories related to affordability, community development, livability and environment/climate change. In these initial print and audio stories, we explore common issues facing manufactured housing park residents, including eviction, corporate ownership of MH parks, COVID-related vulnerabilities, limitations on renovations and more. 

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Program areas

Community Arts/Design Build

CEDaR helps organize a variety of community arts projects ranging from the restoration of the Dushanbe Teahouse in Boulder to design of a plaza in downtown Longmont.

Sustainable Places

Design and planning for urban redevelopment, place-making, and resource efficient urbanism 

City Science

Assessment and application of urban technologies, and use of community science and analytics in urban management. 

Urban Affordability

Innovative design for housing and energy cost-reduction, as well as increase in self-sufficiency and increase in health of vulnerable communities.

Resilient Infrastructure

Integrated management of stormwater, urban heat, urban connectivity, water quality, air quality, and green infrastructure.

Children and Youth

Engagement of young people in planning and design decisions, and evaluation of programs providing services to children and families.