Office of Sustainability

SDG16 SDG9 STARS

Research: Auburn University’s STARS Assessment

By Randy MartinAs we face a future that hasn’t looked like our past, research will play a key role in helping us chart our course. The work of researchers has already alerted us to our current woes, such as climate change and biodiversity loss. Going forward, it is essential that…

ContributorSeptember 13, 2023

Director's Corner SDG11 SDG3 SDG9 Updates

Director’s corner: Green Certified Buildings Are Good For You!

“We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us.” Winston Churchill The M. Miller Gorrie Center received LEED certification in 2008. Photo credit: Jen Morse. Modern humans in modern surroundings spend almost all of their time indoors. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), North Americans, on average, spend…

Mike KenslerApril 3, 2023

SDG11 SDG12 SDG13 SDG3 SDG9 STARS Updates

Transportation Assessment: Auburn University’s STARS Report

by Randy Martin, Office of Sustainability If you have seen the dark smoke billow out of the exhaust of a tractor-trailer or have had your windows down behind an older vehicle that coughs its way forward, you’ve seen firsthand the pollution that a single vehicle can produce. Now imagine all of…

ContributorSeptember 8, 2022

Guest Posts SDG11 SDG9 Updates

Transit-Oriented Development: Moving Southerners Around

by Max Garcia, Sustainability Auburn Alumni Affiliate I am a land use planner working and residing in St. Augustine, Florida that graduated from Auburn University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design. I have fond memories of Tiger Transit on Auburn’s campus, especially when a car was not…

ContributorSeptember 6, 2022

Guest Posts SDG8 SDG9 Updates

HR Connection

by Patrick Johnston, Human Resources Need a ride to HR? Try Tiger Transit. Did you know that AU Human Resources is located inside the East Glenn Administrative Complex – just two miles east of campus? This year, we are on pace to have over 3,000 in-person visitors. Many of them are…

ContributorSeptember 6, 2022

Director's Corner SDG11 SDG3 SDG9 Updates

Director’s Corner: A Bicycle Friendly University

“Young adults want to ride more and drive less, and with defined borders and high-density environments, university campuses are ideal settings to cultivate a culture of biking.” ~The League of American Bicyclists  Bicycle Friendly University Silver Designation The League of American Bicyclists has certified the Auburn University campus as…

Mike KenslerSeptember 6, 2022

Guest Posts SDG11 SDG9 Updates

Parkerson Mill Creek Greenway Progress & Updates

by Ben Burmester, Facilities Management The Parkerson Mill Creek trail serves as a pleasant amenity for pedestrians and cyclist alike. Trails and shared-use pathways are growing in popularity everywhere thanks to health, environmental, transportation and quality of life benefits they bring to a community. When located away from a roadway…

ContributorSeptember 1, 2022

Director's Corner SDG1 SDG17 SDG2 SDG9

We are Partners in the Business of Preserving Life

“A successful development agenda requires inclusive partnerships — at the global, regional, national, and local levels — built upon principles and values, and upon a shared vision and shared goals placing people and the planet at the centre.” ~ Sustainable Development Goal 17 The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are a…

Mike KenslerAugust 9, 2021

SDG1 SDG11 SDG6 SDG7 SDG9 Sustainability in Action

Campus Changemaker: Dr. Sweta Byahut

By Chloe McMahon. Dr. Sweta Byahut serves as an Associate Professor and current Director at Auburn’s Community Planning graduate program. She has been teaching at Auburn for nearly nine years. A seasoned urban planner, her passion for sustainable urban development is evident both in her teaching and research. Since she…

adminApril 5, 2021

Guest Posts SDG11 SDG8 SDG9

Sustainable Community Planning Addresses the Racist Origins of Interstate Highways

By Rebecca Retzlaff. For this month’s theme of sustainability goal 8: decent work and economic growth, I want to focus on transportation equity, an often-overlooked, but nonetheless essential, component of working and economic growth. A few years ago, my historic preservation planning class (CPLN 5400/6400) was working on a historic…

adminJanuary 21, 2021

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