Founded in 1980 with the explicit mission of improving the quality of urban life by enhancing the functions of plants within the urban ecosystem, the Institute program integrates plant stress physiology, horticultural science, plant ecology and soil science and applies them to three broad areas of inquiry. They are:

• The selection, evaluation and propagation of superior plants with improved tolerance of biotic and abiotic stresses, and enhanced functional uses in the disturbed landscape.
  
  
• Developing improved technologies for assessing and ameliorating site limitations to improve plant growth and development.
  
  
• Developing improved transplant technologies to insure the successful establishment of plants in the urban environment.

Online resources: New: Using Porous Asphalt and CU-Structural Soil® [1.4 MB .pdf]- 15-page booklet details how the combination of porous asphalt and CU-Structural Soil® reduces runoff and improves water quality. The combination allows both water and air to infiltrate the base course underneath the pavement surface. This not only allows for healthier root and tree growth, but the trees further reduce water levels through transpiration. 1.4 MB .pdf file.
Using CU-Structural Soil™ in the Urban Environment [15 MB .pdf] - CU-Structural Soil™ meets soil needs of urban trees while also fulfilling engineers’ load-bearing requirements. More on CU-Structural Soil™. New! En français.
Deciduous Woody Groundcovers [2.7 MB .pdf] - Low-growing shrubs and woody plants provide attractive, protective cover for gardens, slopes and many difficult sites.
Recommended Urban Trees: Site Assessment and Tree Selection for Stress Tolerance Revised and updated October 2003
Creating the Urban Forest: The Bare Root Method [670 KB .pdf file, 18 pages] Revised and updated October 2003
A Cornell Campus Walk: Recommended Urban Trees [2.5 MB .pdf file, 31 pages] Revised and updated October 2003

More publications and online resources