1. Portland, OR

A Role Model for the Nation

If you live in Portland, you might want to think twice before complaining about the 40-plus inches of rain dumped on your head every year. It might be the only thing keeping the entire country from moving to your city by the Prius-load. Portland retained its title as SustainLane's number one city to beat this year–not surprising given that it got a 30-year jump on the rest of the country. That’s right: city-planners in Portland have been thinking green since the 70s, when the rest of the country was still embracing the strip mall. The city enacted strict land-use policies, implementing an urban growth boundary, requiring density, and setting a strong precedent for sustainable development. The city's natural beauty is hard to beat, too. But Portlanders aren’t resting on their laurels. According to the city's sustainable development director, Portland aims to be a "20 Minute City" -- where residents spend 20 or less minutes traveling from home to work, shop or play.

"Portland's support of local farmers and farmers' markets; its explosion of green buildings and commitment to renewable energy, and its emphasis on mass transportation, including light rail and bicycles, shows that a city can not only be kind to the earth, but also flourish economically and grow by being green." --Mayor Tom Potter, September 2008

(Photo courtesy of the City of Portland)

Portland, OR | San Francisco, CA »

Stories and Perspectives

When the Messenger is As Important As the Message

When Marcelo Bonta started working at Defenders of Wildlife in Portland, Oregon, he immediately noticed something unusual. While his undergraduate and graduate schools had plenty of people who looked like him, his new colleagues were nearly all white.more »

Depave This!

If you’ve ever looked around you and thought, “There’s just too damn much pavement here!” you’ll understand what Portlanders Kasandra Griffin and Arif Khan were thinking when they co-founded Depave. Inspired by jackhammer jobs in their own yards, Griffin and Khan wanted to motivate others to take stock of surplus pavement…and rip it out. “In my travels around the world, I have yet to be inspired by a beautiful parking lot,” says Khan.more »

Urban Cycling

Ah, urban cycling – a playground for young, biking die-hards swerving in and out of motor traffic or for those in expensive gear and rock-hard bodies, right? Well, not exactly. Though some cities’ cyclists still fit the stereotype, there’s a move afoot to make bicycles the vehicle for the masses. And in Portland – recently named “most bike-friendly major city in the U.S.” by the League of American Bicyclists – it’s working.more »

Waste Not, Rot Not

To most people, the rotten fruit that falls from neighborhood trees onto streets and sidewalks is a moldy nuisance. To Katy Kolker and Sarah Cogan, it became a call to action. During their walks around Portland a few years ago, the two women were struck by the amount of fruit decaying on the curbside at a time when many people in the area were going hungry. That wondered if there were a way to get neighborhood fruit into neighborhood bellies—and it turns out there is.
“There are lots of tree owners who are more than happy to share their fruit,” says Kolker.more »

When In Portland, Do As the Portlanders Do

Submitted by Joe Orzali

One of the things that the hordes of newcomers to Portland, OR learn quickly is that the job market can be a tough nut to crack. For many folks, this brings out their creativity, as evident in the modern day versions of the open air market providing direct to consumer commerce downtown at the Saturday market every weekend and every last Thursday of the month along NE Alberta St. These are a few of the unique features of Portland that seem born out of necessity and do their part to “Keep Portland Weird.”more »