Portland Pre-GA Green Tour
We're in Portland for the largest annual Unitarian Universalist gathering (General Assembly aka GA). We came early to have some time to see Portland and ease into the conference which will keep us very busy. So we signed up for a "green tour" to see what they're doing for the ecology here. Notes and photos:
PEOPLE'S COOP
Bioswale - curb cuts leading from parking lot into garden where rain run-off is filtered & it slows the feed into the sewer, preventing overflow.
Cobb is mixture of sand, soil & straw allows artistic features & doesn't use industrial building materials & helps to regulate temperature - add bottles to let light in.
Eco or green roof also helps to control run-off.
Eco roofs can be expensive, are regulated, & need to be on fairly flat section of roof.
People's cooperative has 7 principles - 750 members - worker's collective. Brochure www.peoples.coop. Farmer's market on Wed.
Expansion of 1907 building. Solar chimney helps to regulate temperature (passive air exchange).
Sistern requires permit, but city is cooperative. Bio soils/ green streets project paid by city.
REBUILDING CENTER
The rebuilding center recycles 5 tons of building materials per day.
Social enterprise model - taking something not beneficial (or negative to the environment) & turning into usable materials. Train workers, pay min. $10/hr & medical benefits, which is more than min. wage, but is livable wage & administrators get paid less than norm for industry. Creating community experience. Largest building materials reuse center in nation (celebrating 10 yrs.).
Strong financial planning & projects management on nonprofit board. Brochure information at www.rebuildingcenter.org - see Our United Villages to see community work.
Parking lot uses pervious concrete. Once a yr. large pervious vacuum cleans it so it doesn't clog.
They deconstruct old houses which takes much longer than demolishing - volunteers help. Prices are never higher than new to encourage reuse & price go down. Having youth volunteers helping with denailing lumber. Insurance is large cost & safety is important.
Sell cleaned & uncleaned bricks. Use waste building materials in landfill for building projects. Provide 10% off coupon for people who bring photos - will put them on web in a few months. Drop ceiling of bathroom is reuse.
Building office cubicles with reused material. Has challenges - can't use recycled lumber for major support since verifying strength would be too costly. Use "green wood" wherever possible.
PUBLIC TRANSIT
Max Light Rail runs through center of streets & is about 10 yrs. old - very inexpensive. Have trolleys that are free.
ROSA PARKS SCHOOL
Environmentally friendly & socially responsible. Solar panels, automatic shutters keep the building from getting too hot.
Floors are marmoleum (anti-microbial, doesn't get slippery) & bamboo. Public-private partnership. Bioswales. Kept large shadetrees. In HUD project neighborhood - new development with green features in houses while still standard construction, but not cookie-cutter - variety of appearances - 50/50 owned & rental units.
Pedestrian & bike friendly. Houses built to encourage interaction.
FOREST PARK
Large narrow forested - 26 mi. includes part of city & mountain. Landslides can be a problem for some homeowners near mountain.
NEW SEASONS MARKET
Store helps sustain local farmers - have 8 now. Label organic & grown within 150 mi. Saving farmers money on boxes by buying reusable folding crates. Encourage customers to bring own containers. Hand-outs www.newseasonsmarket.com
CLEAN WATER SERVICES
www.cleanwaterservices.org
PORTLAND
Intel is company attracting large numbers of people from other countries from Asia & Middle East who become citizens & effects what is voted for (especially in relation to public schools which they're not familiar with).
Portland has office of sustainability
View all of my photos here
PEOPLE'S COOP
Bioswale - curb cuts leading from parking lot into garden where rain run-off is filtered & it slows the feed into the sewer, preventing overflow.
Cobb is mixture of sand, soil & straw allows artistic features & doesn't use industrial building materials & helps to regulate temperature - add bottles to let light in.
Eco or green roof also helps to control run-off.
Eco roofs can be expensive, are regulated, & need to be on fairly flat section of roof.
People's cooperative has 7 principles - 750 members - worker's collective. Brochure www.peoples.coop. Farmer's market on Wed.
Expansion of 1907 building. Solar chimney helps to regulate temperature (passive air exchange).
Sistern requires permit, but city is cooperative. Bio soils/ green streets project paid by city.
REBUILDING CENTER
The rebuilding center recycles 5 tons of building materials per day.
Social enterprise model - taking something not beneficial (or negative to the environment) & turning into usable materials. Train workers, pay min. $10/hr & medical benefits, which is more than min. wage, but is livable wage & administrators get paid less than norm for industry. Creating community experience. Largest building materials reuse center in nation (celebrating 10 yrs.).
Strong financial planning & projects management on nonprofit board. Brochure information at www.rebuildingcenter.org - see Our United Villages to see community work.
Parking lot uses pervious concrete. Once a yr. large pervious vacuum cleans it so it doesn't clog.
They deconstruct old houses which takes much longer than demolishing - volunteers help. Prices are never higher than new to encourage reuse & price go down. Having youth volunteers helping with denailing lumber. Insurance is large cost & safety is important.
Sell cleaned & uncleaned bricks. Use waste building materials in landfill for building projects. Provide 10% off coupon for people who bring photos - will put them on web in a few months. Drop ceiling of bathroom is reuse.
Building office cubicles with reused material. Has challenges - can't use recycled lumber for major support since verifying strength would be too costly. Use "green wood" wherever possible.
PUBLIC TRANSIT
Max Light Rail runs through center of streets & is about 10 yrs. old - very inexpensive. Have trolleys that are free.
ROSA PARKS SCHOOL
Environmentally friendly & socially responsible. Solar panels, automatic shutters keep the building from getting too hot.
Floors are marmoleum (anti-microbial, doesn't get slippery) & bamboo. Public-private partnership. Bioswales. Kept large shadetrees. In HUD project neighborhood - new development with green features in houses while still standard construction, but not cookie-cutter - variety of appearances - 50/50 owned & rental units.
Pedestrian & bike friendly. Houses built to encourage interaction.
FOREST PARK
Large narrow forested - 26 mi. includes part of city & mountain. Landslides can be a problem for some homeowners near mountain.
NEW SEASONS MARKET
Store helps sustain local farmers - have 8 now. Label organic & grown within 150 mi. Saving farmers money on boxes by buying reusable folding crates. Encourage customers to bring own containers. Hand-outs www.newseasonsmarket.com
CLEAN WATER SERVICES
www.cleanwaterservices.org
PORTLAND
Intel is company attracting large numbers of people from other countries from Asia & Middle East who become citizens & effects what is voted for (especially in relation to public schools which they're not familiar with).
Portland has office of sustainability
View all of my photos here