LSU Coastal Sustainability Studio
The mission of the Louisiana State University (LSU) Coastal Sustainability Studio (CSS), founded in 2009, is to address the challenge of sustaining the ecological, settlement, and economic framework of the Gulf coast. The CSS approach centers on supporting resilient human communities in the dynamic Gulf of Mexico environment - working to design sustainable systems that reduce vulnerability to increased storm strength, coastal hazards, habitat degradation, and global environmental change. CSS was conceived as a laboratory to develop new strategies that reduce risk to social, economic, and natural resources, in order to provide a sound basis for major policy decisions for adaptation through more sustainable land-use planning, protection, and education. Located in a large open space in the Design Building at LSU, the studio incorporates training, learning, and demonstration to help educate and train students, staff, and faculty on the principles and practice of coastal sustainability.
CSS was created as a trans-disciplinary institute to aid communities in coping with the complexity and enormity of the problems which various disciplines alone cannot. Scientists, engineers, and designers come together to intensively study and respond to issues of settlement, coastal restoration, flood protection, and the economy - combining disciplines that normally work separately in order to respond to critical coastal issues in a comprehensive way. All CSS projects engage at least 3 disciplines originally drawn from the School of the Coast & Environment, College of Engineering, and College of Design.
The studio funds between 2 and 4 small projects each year through a competitive process. These projects are intended to grow the CSS base by providing a type of incubator for trans-disciplinary projects and teams. To be selected, projects must abide by CSS principles; however, applicants are encouraged to engage cutting-edge ideas and push the boundaries of what we know is possible. Projects should be outside-the-box, trans-disciplinary, and utilize a wide sense of participation.
In coordination with Louisiana's Office of Community Development - Disaster Recovery Unit, the Louisiana Resiliency Assistance Program is being developed to collect, develop, house, and disseminate current planning efforts, resources, and local best practices to promote, assist, and build networks around resiliency planning in Louisiana. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provided funding in the form of Community Development Block Grants to create the Louisiana OCD-DRU. Through a competitive process, the OCD-DRU awarded funding to 30 affected Louisiana communities and projects to develop plans that address resiliency issues and local needs. As part of this competitive process, the OCD-DRU awarded the Coastal Sustainability Studio funds to establish the Louisiana Resiliency Assistance Program (LRAP) to support and assist the 30 grantees.
Phone: (225) 578-4990
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- Louisiana State University
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