Sustainable LA Grand Challenge

Creating the city of the future

Founded in 2014, the Sustainable LA Grand Challenge is an interdisciplinary university-wide initiative aimed at applying UCLA research, expertise and education to help transform Los Angeles into the world’s most sustainable megacity by 2050 — making it the most livable, equitable, resilient, clean and healthy megacity, and an example for the world.

Achieving a sustainable and climate resilient future for all Angelenos and megacities across the globe requires unprecedented collaborations and investment. Your gift to the Sustainable LA Grand Challenge will support UCLA faculty, students and staff working on cutting-edge research with real-world applications, high-impact partnerships with internal and external stakeholders and cultivating the next generation of sustainability leaders.

As we often say, if we can do it in Los Angeles – one of the most diverse megacities in the world – we can apply these strategies to anywhere across the globe!

Giving Opportunities Include:

Investment in Urban Sustainability Research with Real-World and Real-Time Impact

As conveners and facilitators of both internal and external relationships, the Sustainable LA Grand Challenge is uniquely poised to facilitate and create opportunities for interdisciplinary research with immediate real-world impact. Funding for urban sustainability research at UCLA could be directed to specific projects, topic areas or approaches, or more generally to create opportunities for researchers to come together across disciplines and with regional stakeholders to address Los Angeles and global urban sustainability challenges.

Undergraduate Research Scholars Program

Launched in 2014, this unique year-long program immerses students from any major across campus in problem-solving and critical thinking coursework and research activities to prepare them to be the next generation of urban sustainability problem solvers.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Graduate Fellows Program

A unique research-training program that matches UCLA graduate students from any discipline with external stakeholders to co-design and execute research projects that advance sustainability in L.A. County, as it relates to equity. This is an opportunity for students to expand their educational experience and receive co-mentorship from key practitioners and decision-makers in the region, while also serving as a career pipeline.

Sustainability Report Cards

A comprehensive analysis of Los Angeles County to measure progress, identify areas of intervention, provide strategic data-driven recommendations and engage stakeholders. These report cards are developed by teams of students that are mentored by UCLA faculty and distributed broadly to inform regional sustainability decisions.

Visit the Sustainable LA Grand Challenge website to learn more.