Portland State’s 50-acre urban campus is a vibrant, living laboratory modeling sustainability not only for the campus community, but also for the city, region and beyond. In 2010, campus leaders committed to changes that would make PSU’s operations carbon-neutral by 2040. Today, PSU uses 24% less total electricity than it did a decade ago and nearly 9% less per student, staff and faculty member. A detailed sustainability dashboard tracks improvements, providing the community with proof of progress and reason to hope that more can be achieved (pdx.edu/sustainability/sustainability-dashboard). As a result of this work, PSU is consistently ranked as one of the top 50 sustainable colleges in the U.S. by Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges and the Sierra Club’s Cool Schools. Here’s just a sampling of what makes our campus green.
(Illustrations: Shaw Nielsen)
LEGEND: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
- Circulating comfort
The “Campus Loop” is a network of underground pipes that continuously runs steam and chilled water from centralized boilers and chillers to efficiently heat and cool 15 large buildings on campus.
- LEED leader
PSU is committed to no less than an LEED Gold rating for all new construction and major renovations. Currently, 17 campus buildings are LEED certified and three—the Karl Miller Center, Lincoln Hall and Robertson Life Sciences Building—have a Platinum rating, the highest available. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the most widely used green building rating system in the world.
- Centering transit
With the streetcar passing diagonally through the plaza, numerous bus stops and three light rail lines, the Urban Plaza is one of the busiest transit hubs in the state. More than 40% of all student and employee trips to campus are made by transit.
- Reclaiming pavement
A colorful student street mural is the newest addition to the one-block Montgomery Plaza, closed to traffic since 2019. The plaza is part of the award-winning Montgomery Green Street project, a collaboration between PSU, the City of Portland, and private developers, demonstrating innovative ways to manage stormwater while developing a 13-block corridor more welcoming for bikes and pedestrians.
- Embracing reuse
PSU’s reuse programs divert materials from landfills and help community members save money. At the ReUse Room in Cramer Hall, students and employees select what they need for free from donated surplus office, school and home supplies. That includes water bottles and mugs (forgotten all over campus) that are collected, washed and rehomed.
- Efficient illumination
All new campus lighting and all parking garages use energy-efficient LED bulbs, and all others are being transitioned. LEDs use about 90% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than traditional bulbs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. PSU uses occupancy sensors for stairwells, classrooms and other areas where people come and go to dim or switch off lights when the area is unoccupied.
- Seed savers
At PSU since 2011, the Rae Selling Berry Seed Bank and Plant Conservation Program is the country’s first seed bank dedicated exclusively to rare and endangered plants. Its goal is to safeguard the survival of native plant species so they can be used for ecological restoration efforts and rare plant research.
- Renewable sources
Starting this summer, PSU will draw 22% of its total electricity from renewable sources through Portland General Electric’s new Green Future Impact program. (Even the elliptical machines in Campus Rec generate electricity!)
- Reducing runoff
To support healthy streams and rivers, PSU employs a wide variety of stormwater management practices, including rainwater harvesting, bioswales, rainwater planters, permeable pavers and eco-roofs that decrease and filter stormwater runoff. Eight campus buildings and several smaller structures support eco-roofs. The newest, on the Vanport Building, covers nearly two-thirds of the roof.
- Sun power
Six campus solar photovoltaic arrays draw power from the sun. The three biggest are on the Millar Library, Lincoln Hall and Vanport Building; another two top Cramer Hall and the Science Research and Teaching Center. There’s also a small array on the Academic & Student Recreation Center.
- Bike boosters
PSU’s Bike Hub offers PSU bike commuters free or low-cost access to tools and expertise for maintaining their bikes. Since 2011, PSU has been ranked as a Platinum Bicycle Friendly University.
- Green heart
The heart of PSU is the Park Blocks, owned by Portland Parks and Recreation. On Saturdays since 1996, PSU Farmers Market vendors have helped build a sustainable local food system while musicians play for passersby.
- Recycled turf
Stott Community Field may look like ordinary grass, but it’s made of 20,000 recycled tires. It requires no chemical fertilizers and reduces PSU’s carbon footprint by eliminating the need for fuel-powered maintenance.
- Low flow
Since 2016, PSU has seen a 16% reduction in water use across campus after installing low-flow fixtures and upgrading irrigation programs. The Academic & Student Recreation Center’s toilets flush with rainwater collected from the roof.
- Community food
Volunteers from the Student Sustainability Center care for more than 30 species of fruit trees in the Community Orchard. Harvests are donated to the PSU Food Pantry.
- Tree vitality
The aging Norway maples lining six blocks of Southwest Broadway Street are gradually being replaced with a variety of tree species, thanks to PSU’s Broadway Arboretum Project. Its goal is to increase tree diversity, provide research opportunities, pilot enhanced tree care techniques, and evaluate which species show climate change resilience. PSU has been recognized as a Tree Campus USA six years in a row for its work preserving and growing the tree canopy.
- Affordable wheels
Nike’s Biketown has 10 bike share stations on campus, offering free electric bike sharing to students on financial aid and a $20 per month credit toward bike sharing for students who don’t qualify for aid.
- Bee Campus USA
The aging Norway maples lining six blocks of Southwest Broadway Street are gradually being replaced with a variety of tree species, thanks to PSU’s Broadway Arboretum Project. Its goal is to increase tree diversity, provide research opportunities, pilot enhanced tree care techniques, and evaluate which species show climate change resilience. PSU has been recognized as a Tree Campus USA six years in a row for its work preserving and growing the tree canopy.
RELATED LINKS: