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  • UCSUR

    UCSUR

    We are a pleased to welcome Dr. Shannon Wanless as the new director of the University Center for Social & Urban Research!  Shannon will lead a new era of community engagement, community building, and academic research.  

  • Urban & Regional Analysis

    Urban & Regional Analysis

    Promotes scholarly analysis of urban and regional development through multidisciplinary research and technical assistance in local, national and international issues.

  • WPRDC

    WPRDC

    It provides an inclusive infrastructure for openly sharing civic information, and project staff members provide a range of services as civic data intermediaries.

  • Survey Research

    Survey Research

    Survey professionals, trained interviewers, and data management specialists are ready to assist with your quantitative research project.

  • Qualitative Data Analysis

    Qualitative Data Analysis

    A resource to the University community in all aspects of qualitative data collection and analysis.

Welcome to the University Center for Social & Urban Research

UCSUR is one of the four main university centers within the University of Pittsburgh.  Established in 1972, UCSUR serves as a resource for communities, researchers, and educators interested in the basic and applied social & behavioral sciences.  We conduct interdisciplinary research to improve communities and address social, economic, and health policy issues.  

Programs & Centers

Urban & Regional Analysis
Urban & Regional Analysis Program
Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center
Western Pennsylvania Regional Data Center
Survey Research Program
Survey Research Program
Qualitative Data Analysis
Qualitative Data Analysis Program

Featured Services

Center, Census, & Other Miscellaneous Reports
Center, Census, & Other Miscellaneous Reports
Geographic Information Systems
Geographic Information Systems
Regional Research Registry
Regional Research Registry
Graduate Certificate in Gerontology
Graduate Certificate in Gerontology
Pittsburgh Regional Economic Model (REMI)
Pittsburgh Regional Economic Model (REMI)
Acquisition & Management of Secondary Data
Acquisition & Management of Secondary Data

News

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society:  Social determinants of health and mild cognitive impairment in a diverse community sample, Ganguli, Mary, Erin Jacobsen, Ruopu Song, Isabella Wood, Ellen J. Kinnee, Tiffany F. Hughes, Beth E. Snitz, and Chung‐C
Respiratory Medicine

Respiratory Medicine:  Modification of asthma treatment efficacy by healthcare access: A reanalysis of AsthmaNet Step-Up Yellow Zone Inhaled Corticosteroids to Prevent Exacerbations (STICS) clinical trial. "The importance of considering socio-environmental co-exposures in the context of asthma..." - Co-Author Ellen Kinnee

Middle States Geographer

Middle States Geographer:  Buckwalter, Donald W. 2024. Small Area Classification in Urban Geography: A Review of Multidimensional Methods.

90.5 WESA

90.5 WESA:  Influx of corporate buyers in Allegheny County pose issues for code enforcement, would-be homebuyers. "Large outside investors acquiring single family homes - which have not had a lot of corporate investment in the past - really only started a few years ago. And if you haven´t been paying attention...you might look around and see a very different real estate market in your community than there was just a few years ago." -Chris Briem

Corporate Investments in Single-Family Residential Properties in Allegheny County: Recent Impacts. Sabina Deitrick, PhD and Christopher Briem - May 2024
Why the White House Cares About US Steel

Why the White House Cares About US Steel:  Chris Briem of UCSURs Urban and Regional Analysis Program was interviewed on City Cast Pittsburgh: Why the White House Cares About US Steel - March 25, 2024

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Spotlights

UCSUR 50th Anniversary Celebration

The University Center for Social & Urban Research (UCSUR) was established in 1972 with the mandate to "bring together, in an organized and integrated fashion, the many research activities and some of the service activities of the University of Pittsburgh which focus on the urban phenomenon."  Brian Vargus and Clyde McDaniel served as the founding codirectors. Read More

2024 Steven D. Manners Research Development Award announcements
Profiles of Change in the City of Pittsburgh: Comparison of 2008-2012 and 2018-2022 American Community Survey estimates for the City of Pittsburgh and neighborhoods UCSUR
Results of the 2023 Allegheny County Quality of Life Survey by UCSUR. Funded by The Heinz Foundation, Pittsburgh Foundation, and UCSUR - Sabina Deitrick, PI.
State of Aging, Disability, & Family Caregiving in Westmorland County - Dec 2023

State of Aging, Disability, & Family Caregiving in Westmorland County - Dec 2023 - By Scott Beach, PhD (UCSUR); Christopher Briem, MPA (UCSUR); Janet Schlarb, MS (UCSUR); Everette James, JD, MBA (HPI); & Meredith Hughes, JD, MBA (HPI) - Funded by the Richard King Mellon Foundation. 

State of Aging, Disability, & Family Caregiving in Allegheny County - Dec 2022

 State of Aging, Disability, & Family Caregiving in Allegheny County - Dec 2022- By Scott Beach, PhD (UCSUR); Christopher Briem, MPA (UCSUR); Janet Schlarb, MS (UCSUR); Everette James, JD, MBA (HPI); & Meredith Hughes, JD, MBA (HPI) - Funded by the Henry L. Hillman Foundation. Read Report

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