Affiliated Centers and Programs

Center for Community Growth and Change

The College established the Center for Community Growth and Change in 2001.   Directed by

Dr. Mick Lauria, the Center coordinates public service projects within the College from an interdisciplinary perspective and provides assistance to local communities, provides a mechanism to conduct research and serves as an applied research laboratory for Clemson students.

The Center has worked on state, regional, and local planning projects such as river corridors, transportation modeling, alternative land use and environment impacts related to transportation, regional planning, and land use regulation procedures.  A major focus of the center regards the issue of urban sprawl.

The Center’s primary mission is to encourage efficient and equitable management of growth and change in the natural and built environment.  The Center works with policy-makers and the community to promote policies and best practices towards achieving quality urban development in concert with conservation of environmental quality that promotes a strong economy and community livability. Furthermore, the Center emphasizes the cultural heritage of communities as a foundation for attaining a high quality of life. The Center provides a forum for positive exchange of ideas and information about quality communities in a growth environment.

Strom Thurmond Institute for Government and Public Policy
The Strom Thurmond Institute was established in 1982 to formalize public policy research and service efforts at the University. The Institute conducts applied research and service programs in public policy areas drawing on faculty, staff and students at the university for research and program support. The Institute also enhances public awareness of public policy issues through formal and informal educational programs.

Planning students and faculty have participated in Institute projects relating to: water resource policy, infrastructure and energy policy, solid waste management, and comprehensive planning for communities. The Institute houses the South Carolina Water Resource Research Institute and the Environmental Science and Policy Program.

Center for Real Estate Development
The College of Architecture, Arts & Humanities (Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture) and the College of Business & Behavioral Science (Department of Finance) at Clemson University established the Center for Real Estate Development (CRED) in 2001 to educate leaders creating land development in the 21st Century.  The new “master builder” center creates a rich research, teaching, and public service resource for students, consumers, and businesses in the State of South Carolina and the southeast region. The initial mission has now been accomplished—setting up the Master of Real Estate Development (MRED) Program.

The Center has an Advisory Board providing counsel in both implementing the Center’s mission and enhancing the resource base to support the Center.  Recent endeavors include evaluating statewide growth policies with the Home Builders Association of South Carolina and SC Chapter of the American Planning Association, assisting the Urban Land Institute and the SC Real Estate Center in formulating a Quality Growth Strategy for SC and preparing the report, evaluating tax increment financing in SC, and preparing a regional workshop with the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors regarding future growth and market implications in Upstate SC. 

The Center and the MRED program have numerous guest speakers from the real estate industry pertaining to best practices of development, finance, appraisal, brokerage, property management, design, environment, sustainability, land planning, market research, construction, regulatory approvals, management and organizational issues, entrepreneurship, and other leading issues of the development industry.