The Urban Studies Institute is an applied social policy and economic research center serving the Louisville metropolitan area and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Faculty and students in the Department of Urban and Public Affairs work closely with USI staff and maintain offices in the USI facility. USI is housed in a 20,000 square-foot building on the University of Louisville's Belknap campus.

Six research centers are housed within USI:

• Kentucky State Data Center
• Kentucky Population Research
• Survey Research Center
• Center for Environmental Policy and Management
• Center for Hazards Research and Policy Development
• Center for Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods.