Sustainability lessons from Portland, Oregon

In July 2015, Cllr Gareth Kane, a Liberal Democrat councillor representing Ouseburn in Newcastle, visited Portland Oregon on a personal basis. Given its reputation for sustainability,he set up a meeting with sustainability officers at the Council to exchange best practice. This paper is a very brief outline of points arising plus his insights from living in the city for 2 weeks.

Overview

• Portland was declared the most sustainable city in the US by the Mother Nature Network and the second most sustainable in the world by Grist;
• While the City now has an exemplary sustainability reputation, it wasn't always this way. It has a heavy industrial past and a tight 'concrete collar' of
interstates around the city centre. It was sued by the federal Government in the 1970s over air quality standards;
• The city has a population of 610,000 (but just 6 elected representatives!);
• The City has integrated sustainability into its city plan, but that plan doesn't mention sustainability - it is just embedded in there;
• While the hippy/alternative culture in the City creates expectations, it can also cause resistance to, for example, a shift to more dense housing to avoid
unlimited sprawl;
• A key tactic by officers is to compare the cost of 'sustainability infrastructure' with that of traditional infrastructure. For example a new major bridge is
about to open for trams, light trains, cycles and pedestrians. If cars had been factored in, it would have tripled the cost.

Waste

• Recyclate is collected in three bins (dry recyclables, glass, food/garden waste) every week, residual waste every other week;
• Extra information is sent out a key points in the year, for example at Christmas residents get told that they can recycle Christmas cards, wrapping
paper etc;
• The branding of the scheme is noticeably inclusive: "Portland Recycles" rather than "Do your bit."

Energy

• Renewable energy is not a big thing in Portland as Federal incentives are weak and electricity is dirt cheap (8cents a unit);
• Domestic renewables were notable by their scarcity (although many companies were advertising solar);

• The city has put some large solar arrays and wind turbines on high-rise municipal buildings and encourages other big businesses to do so;

• Summer temperatures are definitely rising (it hit 39°C during my visit and a drought was hitting the green areas) which has led to retrofitting of domestic
air conditioning - a big challenge;

Transport

• Trimet runs the various public transport modes - light rail, tram and bus - as a single entity;
• A flat fare covers all rides for 2 hours or double for an all day pass;
• An app gives real time information on arrivals at any stop - people tend to magically appear just as the bus hoves into view - it also acts as an electronic
ticket;
• The Trimet website has a door-to-door journey planner which tells you literally which way to walk before/after you get on/off the transit;
• Buses have a nifty double bike rack on the front, light rail has a couple of hooks in each carriage for bikes (space which is also available for
luggage/pushchairs);
• These are well used, as is the service in general - 45% of commuters use the service according to the posters;
• The city is renowned as the most cycle-friendly in the US, although at 6% it falls well short of, say, Dutch cities;
• The first move in the cycle network was to install cycle parking around the city. As local businesses saw more business coming their way from cyclists,
they became open to the idea of more cycle infrastructure. There's now a waiting list from businesses for cycle parking;
• The cycle greenways that form the suburban network are very low cost - signs, speed bumps and the occasional cycle crossing. The idea is to divert
drivers and create safety in numbers for cyclists by funneling them along those routes;
• Every summer, the city puts on 5 'Sunday Parkways' rotating across the city's suburbs. In each, a car free circuit allows active transport - watching 8 year
olds wobble safely up the middle of the road on bikes was a sight to behold. Stalls dotted the route and some 'closed' streets just off the circuit had
decided to throw a party;

Climate Change Adaptation

• The city has installed over 1,000 sustainable drainage swales across the cityto deal with excess stormwater;
• Every new development is responsible for dealing with 100% of stormwater on site. As a result, many buildings have green roofs and/or gardens to retain
excess water.