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Chinese Progressive Association members show their signs at the October 6th Energy Efficiency Advisory Council (EEAC) meeting in Boston. The Green Justice Coalition has been advocating for new Massachusetts energy efficiency legislation to provide both quality retrofits and new green jobs in working class neighborhoods. Read more on CoLab Radio.

Welcome to CoLab

CoLab is a center for community-engaged research and practice within MIT's Department of Urban Studies and Planning. We work with low-income/low-wealth communities in putting their assets to work to help strengthen civic life and use the market as an arena for achieving social justice.

We work to develop living examples that improve ecological, social and economic sustainability in cities. CoLab supports the development and use of knowledge from marginalized communities to build cooperation, deepen civic engagement, improve community practice, inform policy, support creative problem-solving, mobilize community assets, and generate shared wealth. We also support students to be practitioners of our approach to community change and sustainability. We work in three areas:

  • Democratic Engagement
  • Shared Wealth Generation
  • Urban Sustainability