This post highlights projects occurring through one of the programs that I manage, and was originally posted by the Institute for Sustainable Solutions.
This fall, eight PSU classes will collaborate with local government agencies and community-based organizations through the Sustainable Neighborhoods Initiative (SNI). Students and community leaders will come together to address important sustainability challenges ranging from floodplain mitigation planning in east Portland to placemaking in downtown Portland.
SNI works by connecting Portland State University students and faculty with groups of community organizations in Portland neighborhoods. Students and the organizations work together to address sustainability challenges. SNI provides rich learning and research opportunities that engage students in real-world problem solving while adding capacity to help local organizations advance their projects and initiatives.
Lents
Students Implement Floodplain Survey for the Lents Stabilization and Job Creation Collaborative
As part of the Lents Stabilization and Job Creation Collaborative, the Portland Housing Bureau (PHB), Bureau of Environmental Services (BES), and community organization Green Lents want to learn more about the burden that flooding and flood insurance have on homeowners living within Johnson Creek’s 100-year floodplain in the Lents and Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhoods. Students from Professor Kevin Kesckes’ Foundations of Community Leadership course will conduct door-to-door outreach using a 19-question survey designed by PHB, BES, and Green Lents aimed at obtaining critical information from 350 property owners about the impacts and risks of floods and flood insurance. Findings from this outreach will inform agency staff and elected officials and may help them develop city programs that alleviate the burden of increasing housing costs in the area due to the real and perceived impacts of flooding.
Pedestrian and Bike Planning for the Lents Green Ring
Green Lents is a non-profit organization that advocates for sustainability outcomes in the racially and ethnically diverse Lents neighborhood in SE Portland. The Lents Green Ring is a developing bike and pedestrian loop designed to connect important hubs and centers in the area, ultimately leading to an accessible and livable neighborhood. Full implementation of the Green Ring will include signage, tours, and safety and road enhancements that create a stronger sense of place, connection, and ownership among neighbors. To advance these goals, students from Mike Rose and Nick Falbo’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Planning Lab course will analyze current conditions of the loop and provide recommendations for further improvement. Students will reach recommendations by completing a thorough field investigation that includes background research, base maps, and qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. Recommendations will be presented to members of Green Lents to help the organization further implement the bike and pedestrian loop.
The Malden Court Community Orchard.
Boosting Sense of Place in Lents
Complementing the Green Ring bike and pedestrian planning project above, students from Hunter Shobe’s Sense of Place course will walk the Green Ring with community leaders and residents, developing an understanding of the neighborhood and community assets along the route. The students will then analyze the information provided by the community and produce blogs or other storytelling material to help Green Lents boost the visibility of the loop.
Permaculture and Whole Systems Design at the Malden Court Community Orchard
The Malden Court Community Orchard, a project of community organization Green Lents, is an emerging community orchard in a once underutilized 16,800 sq. ft. vacant lot, located at SE 87th Avenue and SE Malden Court. In addition to providing fresh produce to residents in the Lents Neighborhood, the orchard serves as a publicly accessible green space and environmental education opportunity for local schools and the surrounding community. Students from Jan Carr and Heather Burns’ Permaculture and Whole Systems Design course will use the orchard as a case study for permaculture design, undertaking an independent study project of their interest. Potential projects include designing a riparian meadow adjacent to the orchard, designing a rainwater catchment system, leading fall planting parties, and creating a digital map of the orchard.
South Downtown
Architecture Students Recommend Placemaking Strategies for the Halprin Open Space Sequence
The Halprin Open Space Sequence is a historically and culturally significant series of parks that serves students, employees, residents, and visitors of downtown Portland. The sequence is identified as a historic district by the City of Portland and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service. The Halprin Landscape Conservancy (HLC) is exploring tactical urbanism approaches to activate the underutilized space while complying with historic designation policies and guidelines. To assist HLC in the process, students from Professor B.D. Wortham-Galvin’s Urban Design Methods course will research allowable uses and propose “tactical urbanism” approaches to bring more visitors to the sequence. Tactical urbanism is a strategy to improve public gathering spaces through quick, creative, and low-cost changes to the built environment. Examples include ground chalk or painting, flexible tables and seating, and pop-up food trucks. There is also an opportunity for future classes to build on the concepts produced in the Urban Design Methods course, including implementation of an activation project.
Greater Portland
Public Service, Employee Giving, and Workplace Satisfaction
Employee giving is an important component of public service, sustainable communities, and employee satisfaction in the workplace. To improve the employee giving program at Washington County, students from Rodrigo George’s Fundamentals of Public Service course will conduct a review of best practices among peer organizations in the metropolitan area. Students will research case studies, hold focus group meetings, and present finding to Washington County staff. Staff will use the information to advance their understanding of the dynamics of workplace giving, especially as it relates to their own program.
Supporting Cleaner Air with High Quality Data Maps
Neighbors for Clean Air (NCA) works to create a healthier Oregon by reducing air pollution, especially emissions of air toxics. To accomplish this goal, NCA delivers programs in community outreach, legislative advocacy, regulatory monitoring, and air quality monitoring. To advance NCA’s mission, students from Vivek Shandas’ Environmental Planning Methods course will develop a project that helps underserved communities leverage air quality monitoring tools and existing databases to improve community health. The results of the project will be timely and relevant to the recent revelations of toxic air hotspots in southeast and north Portland.
Business Strategy Students Support Growth of Samara Group, a Portland Based Social Venture
Undergraduate business students in Bill Jones’ Senior Capstone course, have partnered with Samara Group to analyze their business model and help the business grow. As a social venture that supports small, minority owned businesses specializing in environmental sciences, Samara Group will work closely with students to examine the company's competitive edge, ultimately providing key recommendations for how the company could leverage collaborative partnerships to better serve clients while preserving the environment.
GIS Analysis Identifies Suitable Portland Neighborhoods for Accessory Dwelling Unit Development
As part of Yiping Fang’s Intro to GIS course, students will work with the Institute for Sustainable Solutions to identify Portland neighborhoods that are suitable for future ADU development. The students will use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to conduct a city-wide site suitability analysis. The information produced by the students will inform Institute staff and guide future research at the Portland Bureau of Development Services and Bureau of Planning and Sustainability.
Reducing Carbon Emissions and Encouraging Healthy Eating through Food Policy
Under the City of Portland’s Climate Action Plan, the city has developed a number of internal food purchasing policies intended to reduce carbon emissions and encourage healthy eating. Students from Janet Hammer’s Sustainable Development Practicum course will examine the food purchasing policies, talk with city staff, and make recommendations for future actions and changes.
