Mission

The mission of the Institute for Metropolitan Studies is to advance public understanding of California’s planning, urbanization and development -- How California Gets Made. Rooted in the CSU systems’ historic commitment to teaching and public service, we believe a citizenry more knowledgeable about how California is made will be better able to address our region and our state’s pressing social and environmental challenges. We focus on building sustainable civic infrastructure that helps improve decision-making, operation, efficacy and equity in California’s planning and development systems, and on developing bold ideas, initiatives and novel collaborations across silos, sectors and metropolitan areas.