Sustainability, Geography & Environmental Planning (SGEP) Featured Projects

Hands-on applied learning, community partnerships, and student-driven research.

About Our Projects

The Sustainability, Geography, and Environmental Planning (SGEP) program at Jacksonville University engages students in hands-on, community-based projects that improve environmental resilience, support local decision-making, and advance social and ecological justice across the region and state. Our projects integrate GIS, spatial modeling, policy analysis, and collaborative partnerships with nonprofits, government agencies, engineering firms, and community organizations. Our students work alongside faculty and regional partners to address real environmental challenges—from flood mitigation and climate resilience to biodiversity protection and climate justice.

St Johns JU

State of the River Report (SORR): Geospatial Analysis & Environmental Monitoring

Partner: City of Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board | Years: 2019–present

Faculty Lead: Dr. Ashley Johnson

The State of the River Report (SORR) is Jacksonville’s annual assessment of the ecological health of the Lower St. Johns River.

Manatee Project

Manatee Protection GIS Suitability Modeling

Partners: Public Trust for Conservation | Years: 2024–present

Faculty Lead: Dr. Ashley Johnson

The St. Johns River is home to one of Florida’s most vulnerable manatee populations—yet boat strikes remain a leading cause of manatee mortality.

RRA Project

Resilient Ribault Area (RRA) Flood Resilience & Community Prioritization

Partners: St. Johns Riverkeeper, City of Jacksonville Environmental Planning Board | Years: 2023–2025

Faculty Lead: Dr. Ashley Johnson

The Ribault and Trout River communities face some of the highest levels of chronic flooding and environmental vulnerability in Duval County—conditions shaped by a long history of infrastructural neglect and environmental injustice.

Ray Grant

Preserving Homeownership in Duval County: Heirs’ Property Initiative

Partners: Jessie Ball duPont Fund, Three Rivers Legal Services, LISC Jacksonville | Years: 2024–present

Faculty Lead: Dr. Ray Oldakowski

Duval County has one of the densest concentrations of heirs’ property parcels in the United States, according to a recent Auburn University study.

Sustainability, Geography, and Environmental Planning

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Sustainability, Geography, and Environmental Planning

Office location

Sustainability, Geography, and Environmental Planning
91Ďă˝¶ĘÓƵ
Gooding Building
2800 University Blvd N
Jacksonville, FL 32211

Telephone number

(904) 256-7669

Email address