CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities

What CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities does

The CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities (CISC) is an academic research institute established in 2008 and housed at Hunter College within the City University of New York (CUNY) public university system. Founded through the vision and financial support of Theodore Kheel's environmental organizations (Earthpledge and Nurture Nature Foundation), CISC conducts urban sustainability research using New York City as a primary learning laboratory. Its three core research programs—Climate Change and Cities, Consumption Cities, and Cities by the Coast—examine climate adaptation, urban consumption patterns, and coastal urban ecosystems respectively. The institute's researchers contribute to major national and international climate assessments, including the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C and the Fourth National Climate Assessment.

CISC operates three primary programmatic platforms: the Urban Sustainability Extension Service (USES), which develops neighborhood-scale sustainability initiatives with community partners; The City Atlas, a public communications platform launched in 2011 with Rockefeller Foundation Cultural Innovation Fund support; and The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF), a student-majority grant-making program for campus sustainability projects. The institute is governed by a Director (Dr. Peter Marcotullio), Founding Director (Dr. William Solecki), two Deputy Directors, and supported by program managers, research fellows, and an outreach coordinator across specialties in urban planning, biology, environmental philosophy, and water resources.

CISC does not operate on a commercial revenue model. As a non-commercial academic research institute within a public university system, it is funded through research grants (e.g., Hudson River Estuary Program, ASRC Seed Grant), foundation support, and institutional backing from CUNY and Hunter College. Its primary stakeholder groups are CUNY students and faculty, NYC government agencies (notably the NYC Department of City Planning), and the broader NYC public, with strategic partnerships including the Regional Plan Association, Bronx River Alliance, and New York Restoration Project.

Name

CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities

Legal name

CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities

Website

https://cunysustainablecities.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities is an academic research institute at Hunter College within CUNY that conducts urban sustainability research, climate adaptation studies, and community engagement programs using New York City as a learning laboratory. It serves CUNY students, NYC government agencies, and the public through research, extension services, and The City Atlas platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research and Urban Sustainability Services

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure (BPADALAL)

Keywords

• Urban sustainability research
• Climate adaptation studies
• Green infrastructure planning
• Urban environmental policy
• Sustainability education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: CISC receives funding through research grants from organizations such as the Hudson River Estuary Program and ASRC Seed Grant, as well as institutional support from CUNY and partner foundations.
2. Foundation Support: The institute was established with financial support from Theodore Kheel's environmental organizations (Earthpledge and Nurture Nature Foundation) and has received awards such as the Rockefeller Foundation Cultural Innovation Fund.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities (CISC) is an academic research institute within the City University of New York that conducts interdisciplinary research on urban sustainability, climate change adaptation, green infrastructure, and coastal urban ecosystems. It delivers this through three core research programs (Climate Change and Cities, Consumption Cities, and Cities by the Coast), a community-based Urban Sustainability Extension Service (USES), the Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) for campus sustainability grants, and The City Atlas public communications platform.

Product overview

CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities operates as an academic research institute offering multiple interconnected programs and services. The core offerings include three main research programs (Climate Change and Cities, Consumption Cities, Cities by the Coast), the Urban Sustainability Extension Service (USES) for community engagement, The City Atlas for public communications about NYC's sustainable future, and The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) for campus sustainability grants. These programs work together to merge sustainability science with innovative public programming, examining cities as part of the solution to global sustainability challenges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Urban Sustainability Extension Service (USES): An initiative that brings Hunter College and community partners together to develop neighborhood-scale sustainability initiatives.
• The City Atlas
• The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF)

Products and services

• Urban Sustainability Extension Service (USES)
• The City Atlas
• Climate Change and Cities Research Program
• Consumption Cities Research Program
• Cities by the Coast Research Program
• The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF)
• Program for Urban Global Systems (PUGS)

Quantifiable outcome

• Lead author contributions to IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (SR15)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Regional Plan AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional Plan Association is listed as a key partner in CISC's research and events activities, collaborating on urban sustainability initiatives.
• New York City Department of City PlanningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCISC partners with NYC Department of City Planning on research projects related to urban sustainability and environmental planning.
• Hudson River Estuary ProgrammajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHudson River Estuary Program awarded Dr. Andrew Reinmann a grant for the 'Westchester County Forest Inventory: Mapping and Ecosystem Services Assessment' project to study urban forest extent and ecosystem services.
• Bronx River AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an affiliate partner working with CISC on research and events related to urban waterways and environmental restoration.
• New York Restoration ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an affiliate partner collaborating with CISC on urban sustainability initiatives.
• Hunter CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCISC is housed within Hunter College, part of the CUNY system. The college provides institutional infrastructure, faculty support, and acts as the primary academic home for the institute.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy (NYC): Large global environmental NGO with active NYC urban conservation programs addressing green infrastructure, urban forests, and climate adaptation. Overlaps with CISC's urban ecosystem and green infrastructure research, but operates at significantly larger scale with programmatic funding.
• ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability: International association of local and regional governments working on urban sustainability, climate resilience, and policy. Comparable in thematic focus on cities and sustainability, though operating as a global membership organization rather than an academic research institute.
• Urban Institute: Major DC-based nonprofit research organization producing evidence-based insights on cities, housing, and economic mobility. Comparable as a research-driven urban policy organization, though focused more on social policy than environmental sustainability.
• C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: Global network of major cities committed to climate action, producing research and convening cities on urban climate strategy. Overlaps with CISC's urban climate agenda but operates at a much larger international scale with a city-government membership model.

Direct peers

• Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN): Network of municipal sustainability directors across North America advancing peer learning and applied urban sustainability practice. Comparable to CISC as an urban sustainability organization, though operating more as a practitioner network than a research institute.
• Lincoln Institute of Land Policy: Independent research and policy organization focused on land policy, urban planning, and sustainable cities globally. Directly comparable as a mission-driven urban research and policy institute with grant-funded programs.
• Regional Plan Association: NYC tri-state regional planning organization conducting research and advocacy on metropolitan sustainability, housing, and infrastructure. Already a CISC core partner and highly comparable as a regional urban planning and sustainability research organization.
• MIT Senseable City Lab: MIT research lab applying data-driven and design thinking to urban sustainability and city systems. Directly comparable to CISC as a university-based urban research center producing applied insights on cities, climate, and infrastructure.
• NYU Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP): NYU research center applying data science to urban challenges including sustainability, infrastructure, and resilience. Directly comparable as a NYC university-based urban research center, and a natural competitor for talent and grant funding within the NYC ecosystem.
• Columbia Center for Sustainable Urban Development: Columbia Earth Institute center focused on sustainable urban development research and policy. Highly comparable to CISC as a peer NYC university-based research center working on urban sustainability, climate adaptation, and global urbanization.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cunysustainable
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cuny-institute-for-sustainable-cities

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities