​The NYC Urban Soils Institute is a Partnership established by the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, NYC Soil & Water Conservation District, Brooklyn College, and The Gaia Institute.

Explore our new artist extension service

Project: Soils

Our Mission

The mission of the New York City Urban Soils Institute (USI) is to advance the scientific understandings and promote the conservation and sustainable use of urban soils. 
 
The USI achieves its mission through four pillars/divisions:

1. Soils Testing and Technical Services:
    Soil testing, interpretation, and field technical services

2. Education & Outreach:
    A wide range of soil science and conservation training               opportunities

3. Data Depository:
    A platform for soils data storing, organization and sharing         for NYC
​
4. Research:
    Coordination of an urban soil science research agenda edit.

​The USI achieves these goals through partnerships, resource sharing and coordination of programs

Why Urban Soils? 

As cities move toward a greener and more sustainable future, more attention is given to climate resilience, urban agriculture, brownfields cleanup and redevelopment land restoration and green infrastructure. Our interactions with urban soils have rapidly increased in the past few years, however, our understanding of urban soils has not kept pace. There is a large gap between the needs and the resources that are currently available.