Urban Resources Initiative

Organization Description

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. Their mission is to foster community-based land stewardship, promote environmental education, advance the practice of urban forestry, and provide Yale students with clinical learning opportunities. URI works in three areas:

• Community Forestry
• Environmental Education
• Training and Capacity Building

URI is dedicated to community participation in urban ecosystem management and believes that local residents must play a central role in policy design and management for these ecosystems. Additionally, conservation efforts (especially in urban areas where people represent a significant element of the ecosystem) must emphasize social revitalization alongside environmental restoration. URI's approach therefore stresses the integration of the biophysical and social sciences.


URI works with local New Haven community groups and residents to replant, restore, and reclaim the urban environment. They seek out areas traditionally seen as problems—abandoned schoolyards, vacant lots, derelict buildings, and historically neglected areas in the city—and turn their rehabilitation into opportunities for the social and physical renewal of the New Haven community and environment.

With its formal incorporation in 1991, URI became a stand-alone fiscal and legal nonprofit governed by a local board of directors. Though closely affiliated with the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, this autonomy assures a governing body whose diverse interests represent all corners of New Haven.