Community Research on Climate and Urban Science

Building urban resilience by studying local climate change

The Community Research on Climate and Urban Science (CROCUS) is a flagship project from the U.S. Department of Energy to create a network of Urban Integrated Field Laboratories for the study of climate change in local urban communities across the U.S. The project is led by Argonne National Laboratory with the University of Chicago and other higher education institutions in the greater Chicago area, as well as four community partners. The Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation heads the University of Chicago’s affiliation with CROCUS.

CROCUS involves an exciting and diverse set of collaborations between university researchers, climate scientists, city officials, and community organizations to co-produce knowledge about local climate adaptation. CROCUS is designed to conduct novel observational science and create highly accurate climate models. This information will interact with the experience and priorities of local communities to generate new insights on current and future urban climate actions at the street, neighborhood, and regional levels.