In 2012, New York University established the Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP), a new center dedicated to conducting research and education in the emerging field of urban informatics. Using vast data sets and new tools and strategies, CUSP plans to address the critical challenges facing cities, including infrastructure, technology integration, energy efficiency, transportation congestion, public safety, and public health. Funds from this grant provide support for the planning of four major CUSP projects: the Quantified Community project, which aims to fully instrument a section of the city to acquire and use the data collected by sensors as well as other data streams; the Urban Microbiome project, which aims to study the city’s microbiological ecosystems; the Urban Observatory project, which aims to develop and deploy new sensor technologies around the city; and the Data Warehouse project, which aims to construct a pioneering computing center to facilitate the storage, management, curation, analysis, and use of urban informatics data. Grant funds will support planning of these four projects, the production of white papers examining benefits, costs, and potential obstacles, and the production of a detailed project timelines, budgets, and workplans.