Research and Education in Energy, Environment and Water
UB RENEW (Research and Education in eNergy, Environment and Water) Institute is university wide, focusing on the global challenge of sustaining society while adapting to climate change and evolving needs for energy, fresh water and other resources. The challenge is particularly relevant to Western New York, a region with abundant natural resources, including two Great Lakes, but also a legacy of industrial contamination.
The School of Architecture and Planning joins UB's College of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Law School, School of Management and School of Public Health and Health Professions as leaders of RENEW's interdisciplinary community of scholarsis designed to foster new collaborations and produce new ideas.
RENEW’s five focus areas include Freshwater Coastal Ecosystems; Environmental Expsorues, Genomes and Health; Next-Generation Materials & Technologies for Energy, Environment, & Water Sustainability, and two additional focus areas where architecture and urban planning faculty are particularly engaged:
- Sustainable Urban Environments: The RENEW focus in Sustainable Urban Environments addresses the critical role of cities on the establishment of sustainable relationships between human society and the planet.
- Climate Change and Socioeconomic Impacts: Climate change is the single most pressing global issue facing society today; one estimate suggests that a climate-induced global sea level rise of just one meter will cost 28 trillion US dollars to world economies.
“Cities, urban activities and our built environment are some of the greatest contributors to global environmental change. They have profound effects on energy infrastructure, land use, water quality and the atmosphere. At the same time, ecological and sustainability ethics have significantly influenced the disciplines of architecture, urban planning and design. With this initiative, the School of Architecture and Planning has an unprecedented opportunity to work across the disciplines to advance new knowledge and research on these globally significant issues.”
- Robert G. Shibley, SUNY Distinguished Professor, Department of Architecture
Leadership
RENEW brings together UB faculty in science, engineering, technology, public health, human behavior, public policy, architecture, planning, medicine, law and management to further cutting-edge interdisciplinary work in the area of energy, environment and water sustainability. Faculty from across the School of Architecture and Planning are involved in RENEW:
Contact RENEW
112 Cooke Hall
UB North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260
716-645-5900
renew@buffalo.edu
RENEW website