The Center for Critical Urban and Environmental Studies (CUES) is a laboratory for social scientific research on urbanization and the environment in a time of inequality and climate change. CUES supports scholarly and public-facing research and action related to urban culture and political economy, the pursuit of sustainability and social justice, and the many social and ecological “transitions” that the 21st century will require.
Defining critical in context
We use the word “critical” in reference to both moments of crisis and transformation, and to critical theoretical traditions oriented toward illuminating injustices and ideologies.
The bound and fractured green, gray, and red shapes in CUES’s logo and design are intended to represent the relationship between urban environments, ecologies, and politics and struggles for urban, environmental, and social justice.
Learn more about our philosophy and areas of work.
Who we are
CUES draws on UCSC’s unique history and location to advance an interdisciplinary, historical, and relational “Santa Cruz approach” to urban and environmental studies.
Learn more about our ties to
history and place.
