Portland community action

Because of its public transportation networks and efficient land-use planning, Portland has been recognized as one of the most environmentally conscious cities in the world. ^[1]

Initiatives by topic

Community involvement

Opt In, Metro's online opinion panel. "Contribute your ideas about schools, housing, sustainability, parks, community centers, clean drinking water and more."

Cycling activism

Bike sharing for all with Adaptive Biketown

Biking has become a way of life in Portland and many other cities around the world. Riders enjoy reduced transit costs, health benefits, and social opportunities. In most cities, however, these benefits are only accessible for those who can ride traditional bikes, or the physically disabled who can afford special bikes. In Portland, riders lobbied the city government to think about disabled riders in designing a bike-sharing system.

The city will eventually offer adaptive bikes for the physically disabled as part of the 1,000-bike and 100-station bike sharing system that launched in July 2016. The city first conducted a series of interviews with disabled riders to understand their needs. They found that, in addition to needing a variety of adaptive bikes, disabled riders often required storage options for wheelchairs and assistance at bike share stations. Adaptive bikes are designed to fit the needs of individual riders. Some are designed with three wheels to accommodate riders who have trouble balancing. Others are heavy duty to accommodate larger riders or offer hand pedals for riders with limited or no lower body mobility. During the interviews, officials discovered that disabled riders were looking to ride for exercise and recreation, so it is crucial to offer more adaptive bikes and services near trails, rather than at commuter bike stations.

The adaptive bike program was scheduled to roll out in June, 2017. The city is holding or has held educational events, such as the adaptive bike clinic, and providing scholarships for biking classes, to ensure more people can enjoy the benefits of the forthcoming bike-sharing facilities. ^[2]

Learn more from:

Adaptive Bicycle Rental Pilot Project News story covering the policy

Other links

PortlandWiki: Bicycling

Wikipedia:

Cycling in Portland, Oregon: Bicycle use in Portland, Oregon has been growing rapidly, having nearly tripled since 2001; for example, bicycle traffic on four of the Willamette River bridges has increased from 2,855 before 1992 to over 16,000 in 2008, partly due to improved facilities. Portland's Bureau of Transportation says 6% of commuters bike to work in Portland, the highest proportion of any major US city and about 10 times the national average.

Due to its urban bicycling efforts, Portland has earned multiple "bicycle-friendly city" awards, including being awarded platinum status by the League of American Bicyclists, and it ranks highly among the most bicycle friendly cities in the world.

Environment quality

Verde, bridging the green divide

Food activism

Kitchen Share: A Sustainable Community Resource for Home Cooks

Kitchen appliances can be superfluous uses of money and cupboard space, especially for city residents with tight budgets and small homes. Yet interest in healthy eating is growing. More people are trying out unusual food preparation techniques, which can require unique appliances. Kitchen Share, launched in 2012, is a kitchen tool-lending library for home cooks in Portland, Oregon. It enables community members to borrow a wide variety of kitchen appliances such as dehydrators, mixers, and juicers. Members can check out over 400 items online using affordable lending library software from myTurn. With two locations in Portland, Kitchen Share helps residents save money, learn new skills from neighbors, and reduce their environmental footprint. As a nonprofit community resource for home cooks, Kitchen Share only asks for a one-time donation upon joining, providing affordable access to otherwise expensive and bulky items while building a more resource-efficient city. Learn about starting a lending library with this toolkit.—Marion Weymes ^[3]

Other links

Eat Here by Edible Portland - Farm My Yard

Open spaces

Wikipedia:

Portland, Parks and gardens: In 1995, voters in the Portland metropolitan region passed a regional bond measure to acquire valuable natural areas for fish, wildlife, and people. Ten years later, more than 8,100 acres (33 km2) of ecologically valuable natural areas had been purchased and permanently protected from development. Portland's city park system has been proclaimed one of the best in America. In its 2013 ParkScore ranking, The Trust for Public Land reported that Portland had the 7th best park system among the 50 most populous U.S. cities. The survey revealed that 80% of Portlanders live within a half-mile to a park and over 16% of Portland's city area is parkland.

Reduce, reuse, repair and recycle

Free Geek, non-profit organization started in Portland, Oregon in 2000. Free Geek has two central goals: to reuse or recycle used computer equipment that might otherwise become hazardous waste, and to make computer technology more accessible to those who lack financial means or technical knowledge.

Free Geek's refurbished computers are either granted to schools, churches, non-profit or community change organizations, given to volunteers, or sold in Free Geek's thrift store. ^W

Sharing

Maps: Share Portland, OR

Sustainable transport activism

TriMet, public transit in the Portland Area

Wikipedia:

Portland, car sharing: Portlanders living downtown or in nearby neighborhoods have car sharing as an alternative, through Zipcar, which acquired Flexcar in 2007. As of 2005,[dated info] there are over 5,000 members sharing 70 vehicles which are located in neighborhoods such as the Pearl District, Old Town Chinatown, the Lloyd District, Hawthorne, and Brooklyn.

Portland, walking: According to a city video, in 1994 Portland became the first city to develop a pedestrian master plan. Blocks in the downtown area are only 200 feet (61 m) long. Many streets in the outer southwest section of the city lack sidewalks; however, this is partially made up with various off-street trails. A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Portland the 12th most walkable of the fifty largest cities in the United States.

Urban sustainability

City Repair, street painting examples

Depave, asphalt and concrete removal from urban areas. Based in Portland, Oregon

News and comment

2017

The Future of Portland’s Skyline Is Made of Wood. Yes, Wood. Mar 20 ^[4]

2016

Portland votes to ban fossil fuel projects to fight climate change, Dec 15 ^[5]

Portland is first U.S. city to make protection the default for all new bike lanes, January 28 ^[6]

2015

This Northwest City Just Passed The Strongest Resolution Against Fossil Fuels In The Country, November 13 ^[7]

How an inspiring group of women built one of the greenest buildings in Portland, August 17 ^[8]

Events

2017

Apr 6 Transformation — A Celebration of Depave

2016

Sunday Parkways 2016

2014

May 23 - June 1 Village Building Convergence

Resources

• Planning and Sustainability, City of Portland

Apps for sustainability

Arts and culture: Public Art PDX, free app showcasing the rich and diverse collection of Public Art on display in and around Portland

Sustainable transport: TriMet App Center

Urban sustainability: Map App, City of Portland

Community resources

• Proud Ground, the Northwest's largest community land trust, serving the Portland Metropolitan area

Interwiki links

PortlandWiki, Portland's civic wiki

Wikipedia: Portland, Oregon

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