Mission

Integrating Design and Science for Community Resilience

Too often, environmental research and design is fragmented into discrete scientific, academic, and professional disciplines. The CDDL seeks to transform this compartmentalized approach by coupling designers—landscape architects, environmental planners, architects, graphic designers, and engineers—with scientists and local stakeholders, to create innovative, sustainable, adaptable, and resilient design solutions that address the environmental and human needs of small, rural, and under-resourced communities.

Understanding Coastal and Riverine Vulnerabilities in the Southeast

Coastal and riverine environments across the Southeastern U.S. are vulnerable to challenges from both long-term sea level variations and the more acute forces of powerful storms and extreme precipitation events. The collaborative project teams at the CDDL seek greater understanding of these dynamic natural forces and the human-made environments that shape the bioregion and, most specifically, the coastal plain of eastern North Carolina.

University-Based Partnerships Strengthening Regional Expertise

The CDDL is operated from within the NC State University College of Design and has formed strategic partnerships with experts across the University of North Carolina system, numerous governmental agencies, non-profit organizations, and professional design firms.

Delivering Technical Assistance and Building Local Capacity in Eastern North Carolina

Recent efforts undertaken by the CDDL have provided various Eastern North Carolina communities with technical assistance focused on design and programming strategies for both short-term rebuilding activities and long-term resiliency planning. These efforts have successfully contributed to increasing local capacity related to aspects of community development, recreation and heritage-based tourism, management of public landscapes, navigating disaster recovery processes, and identifying and leveraging funding sources. Outcomes of these efforts include citizen engagement activities, policy and programming recommendations, planning reports and design plans, and construction and installation of numerous community amenities.