Urban Resources Initiative



Urban Resources Initiative (URI) is a community not-for-profit that works in conjunction with the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University. Our dual mission is to foster community-based land stewardship, promote environmental education, and advance the practice of urban forestry, as well as provide Yale students with clinical learning opportunities. URI works in three areas: - Community Forestry - Environmental Education - Training and Capacity Building We are dedicated to community participation in urban ecosystem management. A substantial body of learning suggests that sustainable urban ecosystem management depends upon the meaningful participation of local residents. Those who know local conditions and whose daily actions influence the health and quality of urban ecosystems must play a central role in policy, design and management. Sustainable natural resource management and conservation cannot be achieved by technical, scientific solutions alone. Conservation efforts, especially in urban areas where people represent a significant element of the ecosystem, sciences. must emphasize social revitalization alongside environmental restoration. Therefore, our approach stresses the integration of the biophysical sciences with the social. URI works with local New Haven community groups and residents to replant,restore, and reclaim the urban environment. We seek out those areas traditionally seen as problems—abandon schoolyards, vacant lots, derelict buildings, and historically neglected areas on the city—and turn their rehabilitation into opportunities for the social and physical renewal of our community and environment. To reach its goals, URI's work is organized around several ongoing programs: Community Greenspaces, Spaces as Learning Places and various Training and Capacity Building projects. URI is supported by individual donors and grants from private foundations and government agencies, as well as by Yale University. Open