The Institute for Civic Enterprise
Powerful forces are driving social change:
- Technology—information and telecommunications
- Rising demand and limited public resources
- Demographics—both of age and ethnicity
- Citizen demand for increased participation in decision-making
- The decentralization of politics and rising citizen expectation
- Local impacts of the "globalized" economy
While their interactions are complex, gaining better understanding is critical to improving societal decision-making. As the lead research unit of SPPD, the Institute for Civic Enterprise (ICE) generates better information and insight through research on the economic, technological, and institutional changes sweeping through society.
More than two dozen SPPD faculty members, supported by some $5 million in funding, are engaged in over 50 multidisciplinary projects. The range is wide and includes civic infrastructure; transportation and population mobility; community-based organization and decision-making; managing risk in the urban environment; and the local, municipal, and regional impact of global forces such as immigration and overseas economic disruption.