Urban & Public Affairs Research

Faculty and students of the College of Urban & Public Affairs are actively engaged in research that addresses pressing local, regional and national issues to the benefit of communities across Oregon and beyond. This research activity embodies Portland State’s mission to Let Knowledge Serve, leveraging expertise and resources to the benefit of real communities. 

Our research focuses on real and current public-impact issues, moving beyond academia to collaborate with regional agencies and organizations as a critical partner in Oregon’s future. One of our primary objectives is to provide broad access to this research, analysis and insight in order to improve decision making and policy discussions at the local, regional, state and national level.

Research Spotlight

2025 PSU Research Awards

Sahan Dissanayake has been recognized as Researcher of the Year from the College of Urban and Public Affairs at Portland State University. Sahan is an environmental and resource economist working as an Associate Professor in the Economics Department and holds  a "by courtesy" Research Consultant position at IUCN-Sri Lanka. His main research is focused on studying the intersection of land use, ecosystem services, conservation, and climate change, using choice experiment surveys to analyse public preferences for ecosystem services and environmental policy, and dynamic and spatial resource allocation models to study optimal land use.

Paula Carder, PhD, has been recognized as Researcher of the Year from the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health and Director of the Institute on Aging within the College of Urban & Public Affairs at Portland State University. Her research focuses on housing and long-term care options for older persons, including people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia.

EXPLORE OUR RESEARCH

From urban planning to public policy, our work is rooted in collaboration and impact. Our research isn’t confined to theory—it’s shaping policy and solving real-world challenges. Visit our Explore our research page to discover the innovative work happening across our centers, institutes, and academic departments.  We have developed a strong reputation for conducting action-oriented research that drives policy and creates real change in our communities.