The UO Sustainable Cities Initiative (SCI) has launched a two-year research initiative called "Framing Livability.” The project is partnering with the City of Portland, Portland Metro, Transportation for America, and the Natural Resources Defense Council on two grants from the National Institute for Transportation and Communities.  The project seeks to answer how sustainability-focused community development efforts can best be communicated to gain public support. By merging the resources, expertise, and energy of SCI and the SOJC, “we are fostering a heightened and engaged understanding of livability, its opportunities for communities, and a lasting cross-disciplinary partnership within the University of Oregon,” the SCI website noted in making the announcement.