As the cornerstone of a strategy to position Indiana University as a national leader in urban and environmental policy, the Center for Urban Policy and the Environment (CUPE) was created in 1992 within the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at IUPUI. The Center works with state and local governments and their associations, neighborhood and community organizations, as well as business and civic groups, to identify issues, analyze options and develop the capacity to respond to challenges. The Center brings Indiana cities and communities the expertise of the School of Public and Environmental Affairs faculty, as well as the considerable talents of our professional staff and graduate students.
Since 1992, the Center has completed more than 270 projects with and for public, private and nonprofit institutions in the Indianapolis region, across the state of Indiana and in other states and countries. These projects fall within several areas of public policy, including central city development, criminal justice, growth management, waste disposal, government and finance, health care and water resources.
The Indiana General Assembly named CUPE to staff the Indiana Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (IACIR). Established by the Indiana General Assembly in 1995, the IACIR works to improve the delivery of services to the citizens of Indiana by creating effective communication, cooperation and partnerships between the federal, state and local units of government.
