PLACE – Office of Sustainability Initiatives – University of St. Thomas

PLACE (2017-present)

Learn more about PLACE's EcoVillage in St. Louis Park, MN. (Photo from www.welcometoplace.org)

Completed Projects

Analyzing Sustainable Infrastructure (ENGR 362)

Construction and Engineering Economic Analysis (ENGR 362), Deb Besser
Fall 2018

PLACE’s Via development in St. Louis Park, MN will be a “mixed-use, mixed-income, transit-oriented community demonstrating profound environmental design.” The Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure has developed Envision criteria to assess the design, construction, and operations of infrastructure. The Envision rating system consists of “60 sustainability criteria that address the full range of environmental, social, and economic impacts to sustainability in project design, construction, and operation.” Students in Construction and Engineering Economic Analysis will conduct an assessment of the Via development using the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure’s Envision criteria, analyzing and communicating how the Via development achieves various criteria. This rating will provide a powerful framework to communicate about the innovative design of the Via development. Students will also provide recommendations regarding actions to increase sustainability in this and future developments.

Exploring Issues of Funding and Policy for Affordable Living (ECON 321)

Law and Economics (ECON 321), Monica Hartmann
Fall 2018

In collaboration with PLACE, students will select research topics to explore issues of funding and policy for affordable living relevant to the Via development and PLACE's future development goals.

Analyzing and Communicating Costs to Lenders for PLACE’s EcoVillage Development (ECON 401)

Managerial Decision Making (ECON 401), Monica Hartmann
Spring 2018

PLACE’s EcoVillage development in St. Louis Park, MN includes multiple components: affordable and market-rate housing, an e-generation facility, live/work spaces, an urban forest, and a boutique hotel. Lenders often perceive multiple elements in a development as increasing risk, rather than distributing or managing risk. Students will analyze the multiple elements of the EcoVillage and provide recommendations to PLACE to better communicate to lenders the economic benefits and costs of their development proposal.

Designing an ‘Energy Champion’ App for PLACE’s EcoVillage Development (CISC 321)

Systems Analysis and Design II (CISC 321), Tim Meyer
Spring 2018

PLACE would like to encourage residents to engage in sustainable behaviors and to create community at the same time. Using a user-centered design approach, CISC 321 students will design a prototype EcoVillage ‘Energy Champion’ app to encourage energy conservation and create community through friendly competition.

Using Models to Analyze Sustainability Goals and Tradeoffs (ESCI 310)

Environmental Problem Solving (ESCI 310), Chip Small
Spring 2018

PLACE would like to analyze of how well current operations and future design ideas meet their sustainability goals. Students will model several different sustainability objectives through coupled economic/energetic/mass balance models to analyze how goals are currently being met and recommendations to better meet goals.

Affordable Living (ECON 337)

Economics of the Public Sector (ECON 337), Matthew Kim
Fall 2017

Students will analyze variables included in traditional affordable housing models in comparison with systems-based affordable living models to provide the building blocks for further economic analysis and public policy questions for courses to explore in collaboration with PLACE.