Sustainable Neighborhoods

Imagine a place where healthy food, safe parks, affordable homes, and stimulating schools are all a short walk, bike, or bus ride away. A place where local businesses thrive, diverse communities converge, and everyone has the opportunity to prosper. 

To help communities across the Portland-metro region make this vision a reality in their own neighborhoods, Portland State University has created the Sustainable Neighborhoods Initiative. 

The Sustainable Neighborhoods Initiative harnesses the passion of our students, the expertise of our faculty, and the inextricable connections between our campus and community. It calls on PSU faculty and community partners to co-develop and implement community-based learning projects that address the social, environmental, and economic needs of local communities to help achieve neighborhood-scale sustainability. 

The Institute for Sustainable Solutions is leading this cross-campus effort to help faculty enhance courses and take more students out of the classroom and into the community. ISS’s coordination of projects—across courses and over time—will have an amplifying effect that accelerates the ability of these vibrant communities to enhance their livability and overall resiliency. Collectively, the students and faculty who participate in the Sustainable Neighborhoods Initiative will create lasting impacts on the Portland-metropolitan region while better preparing PSU’s graduates for the challenges and opportunities of the twenty-first century.

To learn more or get involved, contact Jacob Sherman, Undergraduate Research, Engagement, and Creative Activities Coordinator, at davidbar@pdx.edu.