| Portlanders
have a sound understanding of sustainability and value
it deeply.
Portlanders are overwhelmingly grateful for the city’s
commitment to environmental and sustainable practices.
Many believe that for some time, Portland has served
as a unique national and international model by balancing
economic and urban development needs with preservation
of the environment. People also think Portland should
set even higher standards for growing a more sustainable
city and region.
Portlanders also recognize the meaning of sustainability
as it relates to our economy, cultural and social issues
and environment. With this understanding, people request
that all of these aspects be considered in future planning
and development of the city. They have innovative ideas
for how our City government can support businesses,
communities and individuals by securing a sustainable
infrastructure that will guarantee a healthy, vibrant
future for all. This would include an educational system
that incorporates sustainability into curricula.
While people like the easy access to sustainable programs
and resources, they are aware that not all Portlanders
have the same access to existing sustainable living
options. Respondents want to see incentive programs
for individuals and businesses to implement sustainable
practices. There is also a strong call to share these
resources with more people by including underrepresented
groups and communities as we move collectively towards
a more sustainable Portland.
-
Portland should be recognized as a regional, national
and global model for environmental stewardship.
- Recognize
the link between economic development and sustainable
communities.
- Educational systems
need to incorporate sustainability into their curricula.
- The City should
offer incentives to individuals and businesses to
encourage the use of sustainable practices.
- Implement policies
and systems to ensure that sustainability is inclusive
to all populations.
- Should public funds be
used to promote sustainability?
- Portland
should be recognized as a regional, national
and global model for environmental stewardship.
- Portlanders value the city’s commitment
to environmental and sustainable practices.
- Many people envision Portland becoming much
more forward-thinking with sustainable policy
and systems for residents.
- Portland should prepare for the declining
fossil fuel era by collaborating at a local
and regional level to implement the use of
sustainability practices:
- Transportation:
There should be more public transportation
and expanded, accessible use of Flexcar;
- Farming:
Make the regional environment more
conducive for local farmers to thrive;
- Education
& Awareness: There should be
public education and efforts to grow household
recycling;
- Green
Building: Develop mandates for sustainable
development of buildings; and
- Recycling:
Expand the City recycling program.
Public recycling bins should be placed in
pedestrian heavy areas such as downtown
and in neighborhood shopping districts.
| "Change
towards a sustainable future. Being
one of the ‘greenest’ cities doesn't matter
if we continue to grow and consume our
resources faster than they can be replaced.
Technology is not necessarily the answer.
It would seem our economy has to grow
to keep from collapsing. Perhaps
we need to change our economy to be in
step with nature." |
| "Portland
should take the lead in green building
habits, alternative energy production,
and sustainable living. I'd hate
to see the city turn into one big, giant
anywhere USA full of chain restaurants,
SUV's, and subdivisions." |
| "Stable
school funding, more and eco-friendly
mass transit, stronger environmental regulations
- lets be the smartest, cleanest and greenest—incentives
to promote these values such as more support
for homeowners to incorporate alternative
technologies." |
- “[In 2030] Portland is a national leader
in promoting sustainable businesses, emphasizing
a 'small (and local) is beautiful' approach,
instead of, for example, recruiting large
corporate relocations…”
- In the future, Portland will have exceptional
alternative transportation options throughout
the city, and the means to ensure they are
widely used (e.g., land use plans/codes that
support transit, TDM programs, etc.) .
- Less emphasis on accommodating cars would
save transportation funding, and make us more
economically competitive as oil prices rise.
Low-income and minority residents feel hopeful,
valued and secure in the notion that their
families have decent housing and good opportunities."
- Recognize
the link between economic development and
sustainable communities.
- Invest in emerging employment sectors that
offer attractive options for Portlanders,
especially in sustainable industries.
- Support businesses and other employers that
create family wage jobs.
- It may cost money upfront to invest in sustainable
energy options for public and private use
but, over time, financial and environmental
costs will lessen.
- Common suggestions for influential companies
are to:
- Convert their own buildings into green
facilities;
- Manufacture green products; and
- Implement sustainable practices in the
workplace.
- There should be more reuse of old buildings
as well as the development of new, green and
sustainable buildings.
| “Foster
economic development around sustainable
industries--work with businesses to prepare
for the future.” |
| “Recruit
manufacturing businesses that focus on
green products.” |
| “Better,
good, sustainable jobs programs. City
sponsored daycare (to model for state
and fed. government.)” |
| “Can
we invest in sustainable technology and
industry?” |
| "[In
2030] Portland will compare favorably
with the best U.S. cities on the proportion
of employees in 'high end job positions'
with comparable salaries. This will allow
for a virtual cycle of benefits to citizens,
the attraction/retention of a well educated
and high skilled workforce, and profitable
industries who are willing to pay taxes
and invest in Portland as a model of sustainable
'urban development.'" |
- Educational
systems need to begin to incorporate sustainability
into their curricula.
- Students should learn about global environmental
problems and "best practices" for sustainability.
- Curricula on sustainability should take
into account unique approaches to learning
that engage youth in real world settings.
| “[I
would like to see] more education on sustainability
(our youth especially seeing as they are
the future of Portland), and more opportunities
to recycle as well as to reuse.
In addition, I would love to see a more
holistic approach to the education of
our youth - the University Studies Program
for our youth - to get the kids out of
the classroom and out into the real world
- to include environmental sustainability
as equally important and math and science
and literature." |
| “[In
2030] we've found a way that our local
economy is sustainable yet continues to
lead in a global economy. There are jobs
for people of all education, but the public
schools are leaders in making an authentic,
progressive education for all kids to
contribute to democracy and capitalism." |
- The
City should offer incentives to individuals
and businesses to encourage the use of sustainable
practices.
- Create incentives to encourage the public
to use sustainable practices, such as fuel
efficient cars, cob or live buildings
(eco-roofs, etc.) and ways to employ sustainability
in all areas such as energy, materials, water,
indoor quality and design.
- More support for environmentally-friendly
development and buildings.
- There needs to be continued urban planning
that promotes protection of farmland and urban
green spaces.
- Encourage higher density development as
much as possible.
- Support the development of newly emerging
sustainable industries.
- Prioritize attracting more environmentally
friendly businesses and industries.
| “…Support
growth and provide incentives for sustainable
businesses.” |
| “…Give
incentives to build new construction in
sustainable ways and to convert old construction
to sustainable functioning, and do it
by allowing the wealthy to subsidize what
the poor can't afford to do. Shrink
the gap by making poor neighborhoods attractive
and healthy without driving out the people
who live there, just bringing them up
into the new standard of living." |
- Implement
policies and systems to ensure sustainability
is inclusive to all populations.
- Portland should include all underrepresented,
minority groups when expanding sustainable/environmental
programs.
- Find ways to allow people of lesser economic
means to have access to healthy, local and/or
organic foods.
- Ensure that all youth have access to healthy
foods in school.
- Create real benefits for the public to use
public transportation and other alternative
forms of transportation in low-income areas
of Portland.
- Plant more trees and create community gardens
in neighborhoods that have higher rates of
poverty.
| “…Why
should 'organic' cost more? If more
poor people could afford to eat organically,
we would have a healthier city.
It doesn't make any sense for a healthy
lifestyle to only be affordable for the
higher economic status people." |
| “The
whole city has the resources to be environmentally
sustainable how and where people live
and work and play.” |
| "Preserve
good urban planning, with zoning laws
and environmental protections designed
to reduce energy use, limit sprawl, reduce
traffic, and encourage use of public transport
and other alternative forms of transportation.”
|
| “More
trees and community gardens in neighborhoods,
especially poorer neighborhoods.” |
|
- Should
public funds be used to promote sustainability?
Respondents disagree over the extent to which the
City should foster sustainability. Many people who
support sustainability believe the City doesn't go
far enough in promoting the use of renewable energy
and materials, public transportation, local food,
etc… (many point to San Francisco as leading Portland
in this regard). They would like to see tax incentives
to promote sustainability as well as greater investment
of public funds in items such as bicycle infrastructure,
green building, community gardens and environmentally-friendly
public transportation.
Others do not think the City should spend public money
to promote sustainability. These Portlanders
believe that consumers and producers will move towards
sustainability of their own accord if it serves their
interest to do so. They would prefer to see public
funds spent on items such as road improvements, public
education and creating a friendlier climate for big
businesses.
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