Eastern Mediterranean University

URBAN RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CENTER

The Urban Research & Development Center(URDC) of Eastern Mediterranean University was first founded in June 1999 under the auspices of Faculty of Architecture with the purpose of addressing the many problems of neglect and lack of awareness that exist in the urban environments of Cypriot towns and traditional settlements. The Centerwas re-structured In January 2005 as an interdisciplinary establishment, and is reporting to the Office of the President of EMU since then.

The objectives of the Centerare to provide an academic forum for contributions to the quality of urban environment in order to promote sustainable urban settlements, to stimulate research on local urban and regional issues in Cyprus for and on behalf of other parties, to pursue development and application activities in line with its aims, to make consultancy services available for the public and private sector, to collaborate with the institutions of similar interest both at the local and international levels, to establish inter-disciplinary links at national and international levels, and to evoke sensitivity amongst local people concerning urban environmental issues.

Considering the current situation of the urban environment in Cypriot towns, and the negligence of the qualities pertaining to the local urban environment and traditional settlements, the Centercould be considered an essential forum.

 Fields of Research

• Urban design: theory and practice at local, regional and global scales and their reflections on education.
• Development of planning and design strategies to prevent urban expansion and uncontrolled developments in newer parts of cities.
• Urban renewal, conservation and revitalization: decay in old and historical urban environments; appreciation of the built resources through working on adaptive reuse of old and historical buildings and urban areas.
• Planning and design of housing environments for sustainability.
• Quality of community life in cities.

   Fields of Activity

• Organizing seminars, symposia, panels and lectures to disseminate knowledge.
• Coordinating and encouraging research projects.
• Collaborating with the institutions of similar interest both at the local and international levels.
•  Establishing inter-disciplinary links at national and international levels.
•  Providing consultancy services to public and private institutions.
•  Organizing open-to-public activities to evoke urban environmental sensitivity
•  Publishing the outcome of research activities.