The Province of Rizal is where we can connect with nature without losing touch with the finer points of urban living. Verdant hills and undulating valleys stretch from the rugged foothills of Montalban and Antipolo City down to the picturesque shores of Laguna de Bay. The terrain offers exciting opportunities for biking, mountain climbing, and camping amidst rolling hills, lakeshores, caves, and waterfalls. Known as the Cradle of Philippine Art, the province attests to the creative tradition that has spawned generations of visual and performing artists. As the higher educational institution in the province, the University of Rizal System (URS) plays a critical role in advancing Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. As part of its core processes, the university’s academic, research, extension, and production initiatives significantly promote sustainable, inclusive, and resilient urban and rural development.

The university also works to raise awareness about the importance of sustainability through educational outreach, helping to cultivate a culture of environmental stewardship within urban and rural communities. It has opened its physical and virtual gates to stakeholders through training programs for local governments, small businesses, and community members to enhance their capacity to address sustainability challenges. These programs focus in support of its arts and heritage. Evident in the history of the URS Vector, a legendary figure named Bernardo Carpio is a giant in Philippine myths. He had a strength similar to that of Hercules in Greek mythology. Giants, commonly called Titans, were an ancient race of powerful deities and the descendants of Earth and Sky that ruled during the legendary golden age. They were immortal beings of incredible strength and stamina and the first pantheon gods and goddesses. Giants possessed an overwhelming physique and power beyond human capacity. The basic form of the legend is that Bernardo Carpio, a being of great strength, is trapped between two great rocks in the Mountains of Montalban. Accordingly, he keeps the mountains from crashing into each other (similar to the Greek titan Atlas holding up the sky). When Carpio shrugs his shoulders, an earthquake occurs. As an icon in the URS Vector, Bernardo Carpio depicts that enslaving poverty and oppressing ignorance will be replaced with freedom and happiness through perseverance and education. In its colossal glory, the Giant is at the center while lifting the word “Giants” with the name of the university written at the top. The Giant's brusque and masculine demeanor represents the institution's excellence and greatness and holds the URS core values. Giants are undefeatable and will always rise to persevere odds and challenges. The state-of-trance expression of the Giant, bordering from rage and duress, conveys the feeling of “I’ll give all my best to strive for greatness and excellence.”

The university supports the creation of local, sustainable innovations, such as waste-to-energy systems, water purification technologies, and small-scale renewable energy solutions. As the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, the university supported its personnel through policies on work arrangements and transportation. The same goes for the continued housing benefits to its animal and crop production employees. These innovations and policies contribute to cities' and communities' environmental and socio-economic resilience.

As it embarks on implementing the land use development and infrastructure plan, URS commits to ensuring that SDG 11 will be the blueprint for sustainability efforts to design livable cities and communities for its workforce, studentry, and community. Through its comprehensive research, extension, and production programs, the university fosters the development of communities better equipped to tackle the challenges of urbanization, climate change, and environmental sustainability.