Affiliated with the Centre for Environmental Design Research and Outreach and The University of Calgary's Faculty of Environmental Design.

In 1984, the Faculty of Environmental Design (referred to as the Faculty in this document) established the Urban and Regional Research Lab (URL) to provide a scholarly activity focus for faculty and students concerned with urban and regional issues. The Lab carried out a range of projects and was responsible for the establishment and administration of the Historical Resources Intern Programme.

In 1991, based on the success of the Lab and the important role that it played in faculty and student scholarly activity, the Faculty approached the University to have the Lab established as a University centre. In 1991, the Centre for Livable Communities (CLC) was granted approval to proceed to establish. The CLC has managed and conducted work in three Prairie provinces, the Maritimes, Northwest Territories, China, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. The Centre's name was changed to the Centre for Environmental Design Research and Outreach (CEDRO) in November 1995, but the CLC lives on as a component known as the Livable Communities Group

Over the past three years, the Group has been reponsible for the administration of over $7M. Some of these projects have been of a financial and management significance, especially the Canadian Universities Consortium/Asian Institute of Technology Partnership Project (CUC.AIT.PP) and the Historical Resources Intern Program (HRIP). It is important to note that these activities have been completely financed out of project funds and overheads.

The Livable Communities Group has also formed alliances with relevant centres as well as international groups. The Group maintains a client mix which represents a healthy mix of interest and size.

There is substantial evidence of the need for Environmental Design related research and outreach which is integrative, interdisciplinary, unique, leading edge, and responsive to the needs of a wide range of communities, individuals, and organizations. While the level of past activity is representative of the need, a series of societal and economic changes makes the Centre ever more important to the Faculty, University, and provincial, national and international communities. In addition, the requirement for Centre research and outreach is ever more important given the downsizing of government at all levels and increasing demands for integrative and innovative solutions to a wide range of issues and opportunities.

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