This panel will address challenges in redeveloping historic buildings within Portland's Old Town Chinatown, an area home to two National Historic Districts. It will explore financial tools, incentives, and streamlined processes to attract private investment and restore these vital structures.

Speakers include Brian Emerick (Emerick Architects), Julie Garver (Innovative Housing), Jeff Joslin (City and County of San Francisco), Peggy Moretti (Restore Oregon), and Ethan Seltzer (Portland State University). Chet Orloff (Pamplin International Collection of Art & History) will moderate.

Published on June 24, 2014, by the City Club of Portland.

This publication, from the City of Portland's Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, offers a brief introduction to Portland's diverse neighborhoods.

It highlights the unique character of each area.

Originally posted in December 2014.

Streamed live on January 9, 2015, this forum on "Healthcare & Homelessness" discussed City Club's new report and critical community issues.

The event explored how to maximize health benefits for Multnomah County's homeless population through healthcare reform and Oregon Health Plan expansion. Homelessness is a complex public health challenge where the struggle for stability often overshadows health needs, exposing deep fault lines in our current healthcare system.

Panelists included Crista Gardner, David Labby, Leo Rhodes, and Rachel Solotaroff.

An upcoming forum will address what's working, what's not, and potential improvements for homelessness by next year. Panelists include Multnomah County Chair-Elect Deborah Kafoury, Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman, Suzanne Hayden (Citizens Crime Commission), Traci Manning (Portland Bureau of Housing), Matt Morton (Native American Youth and Family Center), and Leo Rhodes (Street Roots). KGW's Reggie Aqui will moderate.

This initiative builds on past efforts, such as Nan Roman's (National Alliance to End Homelessness) April 4th presentation on causes and solutions. A City Club research committee is also studying how Multnomah County's homeless population can benefit from healthcare reforms, with results due in January. The City Club of Portland has dedicated 2014 to finding practical solutions to end local homelessness through research, advocacy, and public forums.

Portland is experiencing an unprecedented architectural boom, impacting citizens across many neighborhoods. While the city's Design Review process evaluates new buildings, its most stringent oversight applies only to downtown and a few inner districts.

A panel will explore how Design Review functions, its effectiveness, and potential expansion city-wide. Experts Michael McCullouch, Guenevere Millius, and John Russell will share insights, with Randy Gragg moderating the discussion.

As Portland revitalizes its Old Town/Chinatown, a neighborhood home to two National Historic Districts, there is renewed interest in preserving its architecture and reusing historic buildings. This panel will address the challenges of redeveloping these structures, explore better financial tools and incentives, suggest in-fill considerations, and discuss streamlining processes to attract private investment and restore buildings to full service.

Speakers include Brian Emerick (Emerick Architects), Julie Garver (Innovative Housing), Jeff Joslin (City and County of San Francisco), Peggy Moretti (Restore Oregon), and Ethan Seltzer (Portland State University). Chet Orloff (Pamplin International Collection of Art) will moderate the discussion.

Marcelo Bonta, founder and Executive Director of the Center for Diversity & the Environment, was interviewed by Andrea Huggins of AASHE.

The interview occurred on October 28, 2014, in Portland, Oregon, during the 2014 Annual Conference of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

Portlanders Ruth Ann Barrett of EarthSayers.tv and Barry Heidt of Geospirit.tv produced the segment.

This proposal details a location for a Chinese-style green grocer within the Old Town Chinatown Neighborhood Association's New Chinese Japanese Historical District.

Authored by Ruth Ann Barrett, a local sustainability advocate, the plan leverages her experience in community development, local government, association management, and marketing.

This document, an update to an earlier version, was published on October 26, 2014.

At the Garrison Institute's 2011 Climate, Cities and Behavior Symposium, Susan Anderson and Jill Kolek from Portland's Bureau of Planning and Sustainability detailed the Solarize Portland Campaign. They united solar businesses, nonprofits, and public incentive programs to forge a cohesive message and marketing strategy.

Their tactic utilized peer pressure to establish solar energy as the "new normal." This was complemented by a community-driven, neighborhood-level volume purchasing program, significantly expanding solar access for numerous households.

The Portland Development Commission (Oregon) presented an Earth Day lecture featuring Ozzie Gonzalez, LEED A.P.

Gonzalez discussed celebrating Earth Day and integrating community and social equity as vital components of a sustainable future.

This lecture was published on April 26, 2012.

This event, held on March 7, 2014, featured a panel of experts moderated by Nichole Maher, President of the NW Health Foundation.

Speakers included Brad Avakian, Commissioner of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries; Sunny Petit and Roberta Phillip-Robbins from the Oregon Council on Civil Rights; Jessica Nelson of the Oregon Employment Department; and Josh Lehner from the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis.

Portland is celebrated for its strategic land-use planning, earning its reputation as one of the world's greenest and most livable cities. Successful revitalization of areas like the Pearl District and Alberta showcases this commitment. Yet, the city grapples with transforming its aspirations for equitable and healthy communities into concrete action, especially concerning long-stalled projects such as the Memorial Coliseum and Centennial Mills.

Moderated by Brian Libby, this program features John Russell, who will address these development challenges. He will propose solutions to advance urban growth while upholding Portland's core values. This discussion was originally published on January 16, 2013, by the City Club of Portland.

Former Portland Mayor Sam Adams, Noah Siegel (former Director of International Affairs), and Sean Robbins (Greater Portland Inc. president/CEO) discuss the region's competitive advantage in building green cities.

This discussion is drawn from "The Metropolitan Revolution: How Cities and Metros Are Fixing Our Broken Politics and Fragile Economy," a Brookings Institution publication. Download the accompanying iPad app.

The national Community Rights movement offers a local strategy for communities to dismantle corporate rule by challenging corporate "rights" and passing enforceable laws. This approach addresses corporate harms as symptoms of corporate personhood, moving beyond conventional activism.

Join Community Rights activists and leaders like Paul Cienfuegos, whose expertise has guided over 200 communities in nine states. For resources, writings, or to arrange workshops, email Paul@CommunityRights.US or visit CommunityRights.US.

This video was filmed in October 2012 by Sustainability Action Media, with assistance from EarthSayers.tv and Sustainable Today.

Barbara Ford was interviewed by Ruth Ann Barrett of EarthSayers.tv at the Earth & Spirit Council's Earth Day ceremony (April 20-21st) at Portland Community College/Sylvania. Ford discussed how her work shaped her life choices, emphasizing lessons from her teachers and the importance of sharing one's unique gifts. She also led an "Active Hope" workshop.

For more about her workshops and classes, visit her website. A second interview, "Active Hope, Belonging and Becoming," is also available on EarthSayers.tv.

Embracing authenticity and dismissing the need for universal approval is crucial for advancing sustainability.

Reverend Renee Ward exemplifies this by fearlessly championing causes close to her heart, unconcerned with public opinion. Her impactful speech was sponsored by TEDxConcordiaUPortland.

Their 2012 speech schedule is available here.

Community partnerships foster self-reflection, prompting individuals to understand their own experiences and relationships. They demand active engagement in daily life.

Mr. Patton presented "A Case Study of University-Community Partnership in Portland, Oregon" at the NW Environmental Health Conference, sponsored by Portland State University in February 2012.

Special thanks to videographer Maegan Prentice of Eyeopening Video.

Dr. M. Jahi Chappell, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Justice at Washington State University, Vancouver, delivered a lecture titled "Ecological Sustainability, Food, and Human Rights: The Necessity of 'Action Ecology'" at Portland State University's Social Sustainability Colloquium on January 27, 2012. He argued that scientists should embrace roles as both citizens and credible advocates, emphasizing that this, combined with community participation and outreach—particularly within university settings—is crucial for challenging the status quo and driving effective change.

The lecture was videotaped by Ruth Ann Barrett, Sustainability Advocate and founder of EarthSayers.tv, voices of sustainability.

Lorie Wigle, General Manager of Intel's Eco-Technology Program Office and President of the Climate Savers Computing Initiative, shares her lifelong commitment to environmental sustainability. Her eco-mindedness began in high school and continues to influence her work at Intel.

Ruth Ann Barrett of EarthSayers.tv interviewed Wigle at Portland State University's Center for Global Leadership in Sustainability, during the Business and Sustainability Conference in November 2010.

SaraJoy Pond founded tippingbucket.org to revolutionize philanthropy. Tipping Bucket is a social venture making world-changing accessible to everyone, moving beyond traditional deep-pocket models to empower all who wish to make a difference.

Their adaptive, open platform builds a community of engaged donors, leveraging their financial, human, and social capital for good. They also mentor promising social change agents, supporting projects with holistic capital, and deliver accessible corporate social responsibility initiatives to raise awareness, engage donors, and fund impactful work.