In 2009 the City of Portland announced a series of investments in "EcoDistricts" – neighborhoods in which residents integrate sustainable development and social equity into their planning. These efforts had limited staff, but large visions. In 2012, ISS began outreach to these communities to understand the challenges and opportunities they faced. One of the main needs for advancing their work was additional resources.
Enter the Sustainable Neighborhoods Initiative. Launched in 2013, this project engaged PSU students with EcoDistricts, utilizing courses and internships to help meet the needs of neighborhoods. Each year, ISS would host a faculty and community-partner workshop to generate ideas for applied courses and then spend the next year bringing students, faculty and community partners together.
Between 2013-2017, this program engaged over 1,500 students – providing extraordinary opportunities for training and skill development with interesting, real-world projects. Many projects led to direct impacts in communities, such as helping the city launch a new flood insurance program and designing, fundraising for, and building a new community garden. Some of the partnerships formed through this initiative are still in operation.
Contact isspsu@pdx.edu for information about the Sustainable Neighborhoods Initiative.
Some resources on the Sustainable Neighborhoods Initiative: