Rice University’s Institute for Urban Research will study patterns of change in cities

CONTACT: Franz Brotzen
PHONE: 713-348-6775
E-MAIL: franz.brotzen@rice.edu

Rice University’s Institute for Urban Research will study patterns of change in cities
Houston Area Survey to be housed at institute

Rice University has created an Institute for Urban Research (IUR) to study patterns of change in Houston and other cities and conduct other research on urban issues.

The new institute combines the ongoing work of two centers at Rice — the Center on Race, Religion and Urban Life (CORRUL) and the Urban Research Center (URC) — into a cohesive entity to be housed in the School of Social Sciences. The current directors of the two centers, sociology professors Michael Emerson and Stephen Klineberg, will serve as co-directors of the institute.

The IUR will conduct scientific research, sponsor educational programs and engage in public outreach that advances understanding of pressing urban issues and fosters the development of more humane and sustainable cities. Its goal is to become a magnet for talent, a catalyst for civic engagement and a nationally recognized leader both in conducting first-rate research and in translating its findings into a valued resource that informs and inspires the communities on which the research is based.

The institute will serve as the permanent home for the Houston Area Survey, the nation’s longest-running study of any metropolitan area’s economy, population, life experiences, beliefs and attitudes. For almost 30 years, the annual surveys have provided an ever-richer, ever-changing picture of the region’s economic and demographic patterns, and they have measured area residents’ beliefs and attitudes regarding the region’s quality of life, its burgeoning ethnic and cultural diversity and the growth of its urban centers.

“With the Institute for Urban Research, the Houston surveys are now assured of continuing into the future to provide valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing this region,” Klineberg said. “The institute will also enable us to augment the survey findings with other urban research and public programs, to greatly enhance their value to the wider community.”

“The new institute will focus on three interconnected endeavors: social research in the urban context, public outreach and academic programs,” said Michael Emerson, the Allyn and Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology. “Scholars at the institute will study both the macro changes in the economic, demographic and sociocultural patterns of large metropolitan regions and the micro experiences of life in local neighborhoods and communities.”

“The Institute for Urban Research will help to train students in modern social research methodologies, develop interdisciplinary academic programs bringing together scholars with shared interests to foster collaboration and host annual symposia exploring the policy implications of its research,” said Lyn Ragsdale, dean of Rice’s School of Social Sciences. “It will also issue published reports each year on the latest results of the Houston Area Survey and make use of blogs and other social media tools to disseminate its research findings to the wider community.”

Support for the institute will come from research grants and endowment funds. The ongoing operation of the IUR is being underwritten by a consortium of business and civic leaders who have joined the center as founding members of the IUR Corporate Forum. As of this month, that group includes Sterling Bank, the United Way of Greater Houston, ExxonMobil, The Marek Family of Companies, HEB, Gallery Furniture, Wells Fargo, CenterPoint Energy and Fiesta Mart.