Founded in 2016 to lift up the voices of over-burdened and under-resourced residents in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas, UrbanKind Institute is a Pittsburgh-based think-and-do tank. Rooted in a commitment to equity and social justice, we bridge the gap between community experiences, public policy and academic research, bringing different people and ideas together.
We are informed by a diverse set of experiences and a critical, interdisciplinary lens. We seek to expand equitable and just outcomes, strengthen the voices of often-excluded populations, and improve youth outcomes. Our work spans several areas: education, environment, housing, jobs, neighborhoods, public safety, and transportation.
Our success is rooted in our belief in asking critical questions. Acknowledging, understanding, and discussing contentious or uncomfortable issues is necessary to address problems and create effective solutions. Positive change--change that benefits all parties--doesn't happen without honest and sometimes tough conversations.
We center the voices, lived experiences, goals, and priorities of residents from the communities we serve in decisions, research, and investments in their communities, so that residents are the primary beneficiaries.
UrbanKind Institute specializes in applied research and policy analysis that uses a critical, interdisciplinary lens.
We work with businesses, non-profit organizations, service providers, and community-based groups to help them understand, evaluate, and discuss the issues that matter to them.
We evaluate areas of deficit in equity, transparency, sustainability, and integrity in order to develop policies and procedures that increase capacity, funding, participant engagement and success for the programs and collaborating organizations we support
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