Planning & Sustainability Office

Shaping a Vibrant PSU Experience

The Planning & Sustainability Office (PSO) serves as a strategic hub and community connector for campus planning and sustainability initiatives, university policy, and hands-on strategy to Improve the Portland State Campus environment through community building, placemaking, and resilience strategies.

By combining urban planning and sustainability we connect people to places and spaces on campus by leveraging design, thoughtful partnerships, and collective impact. We bridge community engagement with physical transformation, creating an environment where students, faculty, and staff truly want to show up, connect, and belong.

Placemakers Exchange 2026 Discussion Group

PLANNING

We translate university vision into physical space through strategic placemaking, mapping resources, space planning, and capital investments.

By setting the standards for how we move, study, and gather, we shape an urban campus that functions efficiently and supports academic success.

SUSTAINABILITY

The PSU sustainability office is first and foremost a connector.

We monitor and report progress toward a just, resilient future, while convening campus and community leaders to develop sustainable policies. Finally, we launch the hands-on projects and programs that make PSU a true sustainability leader in higher education.

SPARK Awards

APPLY!

Money is available to help realize your placemaking project. Whether it’s a temporary installation, community gathering, or a mural; if it sparks joy, creates community, and fosters pride in our urban environment, let's MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Multiple $2,500 awards are available for PSU Placemaking projects.

SPARK Award

Planning & Sustainability Campus Projects

picture of two people painting a mural on a ceiling

NEURAL MURAL

picture of 4 people working in a a garden with three light purple flowers

COMMUNITY GARDEN

picture of a person skateboarding on a half pipe

THE COURTS

VALHOWLLA DOG PARK

PLACEMAKERS EXCHANGE

NEURAL MURAL

PSO offered a SPARK Award ($2,500 for a campus placemaking project) to the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Association and NW Noggin for a mural on the third floor skybridge between Cramer Hall and the Smith Memorial Student Union. The mural is inspired by the drawings of Santiago Ramón y Cajal, an artist and founder of the field of neuroscience. It is a depiction of the cells and circuits of the hippocampus, a brain region essential for creating memories.

COMMUNITY GARDEN

PSO partnered with Student Affairs and Learning Properties (SALP) and the Student Sustainability Center to design a vibrant new community garden. The project's design phase has been completed. Next? Construction, programming, and more.

THE COURTS

A community-driven skate park at PSU that transformed a derelict space into a vibrant hub of social connection during the pandemic, eventually evolving from a temporary project into a permanently funded campus landmark. What is being called "The Courts 2.0" - the new skatepark is currently under construction.

VALHOWLLA DOG PARK

WOOF-WOOF! The PSU Dog Park is at SW Mill Street and south of SW Market Street. A place for play time, running around, and tail waggin' for PSU and the greater community.

PLACEMAKERS EXCHANGE

Each year, the Planning & Sustainability Office hosts the Placemakers Exchange. This annual symposium brings together students, faculty, and community placemakers to engage each other on the tactical strategies to enliven our city and campus.

PLANNING & SUSTAINABILITY GUIDING PRINCIPLES

PSO is driven by the goal of aligning campus growth with climate resilience, equity, and financial stability, creating an environment where students, faculty, and staff truly want to show up and belong.

Reciprocal Communication: Strive to both learn from and respond to the unique needs of the campus community.

Equity and Regeneration: A better future requires diverse perspectives, bold questions, and a continuous commitment to environmental stability and community well-being.

Collaborative Impact: By serving as a "first stop" for campus projects, we help reduce bureaucracy and empower students and faculty to turn creative ideas into reality.

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