Urban sustainability

More than half the world’s population now resides in urban areas, a seeming concentration of our most complex environmental and social problems.

But cities also present many opportunities to test and adapt solutions at an efficient scale, translating collective knowledge into action.

At Portland State, we capitalize on our location in one of the most sustainable cities in the world and our close alignment with local governments, businesses and organizations to fuel urban innovation.

Our expertise includes sustainable transportation, integrated water and energy infrastructure, and development of green neighborhood EcoDistricts. We build and study green buildings, but we also harness the power of community engagement to model how cities can define their futures.

It falls to urban-serving universities to help meet the challenges of a rapidly urbanizing planet, and Portland State is answering that call to action.