The Climate Sustainability Center (CSC) harnesses and enhances the creative resources of established educational, research, entrepreneurial, labor and governmental entities —locally, regionally and nationally— to focus on developing a sustainable workforce for green jobs in Kansas City. The Center includes a world-class research facility and business incubator for the advancement of environmentally-friendly applications and products for the 21st century. In addition to community education/training spaces, it features a botanical garden that emphasizes research and urban agriculture.

The Center is located within the Green Impact Zone along the Brush Creek cultural corridor and is intended to be a "living campus", demonstrating state-of-the-art sustainable design methodologies. The team has incorporated aggressive high-performance building and site goals, many of which are set forth in the Living Building Challenge.