As part of Harris Public Policy, the University of Chicago Urban Labs works to address challenges across five key dimensions of urban life: crime, education, energy & environment, health, and poverty.

Each of the five urban labs partner with civic and community leaders to identify, test, and help scale the programs and policies with the greatest potential to improve human lives, and provide meaningful opportunities for Harris students to engage with important issues affecting the City of Chicago and beyond.

Crime Lab

Using randomized controlled trials, insights from behavioral economics, and predictive analytics, the Crime Lab partners with policymakers and practitioners to generate evidence about the strategies that reduce violence and do the most social good per dollar spent.

Education Lab

The Education Lab partners with civic and community leaders to identify, rigorously evaluate, and learn how to scale programs and policies that improve education in America’s most distressed urban neighborhoods.

Energy & Environmental Lab

The Energy & Environment Lab partners with civic and community leaders to identify, rigorously evaluate, and help scale programs and policies that reduce pollution, conserve limited natural resources, and improve environmental outcomes, while ensuring access to reliable and affordable energy.

Health Lab

The Health Lab partners with civic and community leaders to identify, rigorously evaluate, and help scale programs and policies that improve health outcomes, particularly for low-income and disadvantaged urban residents.

Poverty Lab

The Poverty Lab partners with civic and community leaders to identify, rigorously evaluate, and help scale programs and policies that reduce poverty and create paths to economic opportunity.