Planning & Sustainability

Shaping a Vibrant PSU Experience

The Planning & Sustainability Office (PSO) serves as a strategic hub and community connector for campus planning and sustainability initiatives, university policy, and hands-on strategy to Improve the Portland State Campus environment through community building, placemaking, and resilience strategies. By combining urban planning and sustainability we connect people to places and spaces on campus by leveraging design, thoughtful partnerships, and collective impact. We bridge community engagement with physical transformation, creating an environment where students, faculty, and staff truly want to show up, connect, and belong. We are a department of Planning, Construction and Real Estate, under Finance and Administration.

picture of a wand with a green start and the words "spark awards"

SPARK Awards: Call for Applications

Whether it’s a temporary installation, a performance series, a sculptural bench, or a new mural; if it sparks joy and fosters a sense of pride in our urban environment, we want to HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN. Multiple $2,500 awards are available to help ignite PSU Placemaking projects.

Get SPARK Award Details

Picture of brick plaza with students, a fountain, a clock tower, tree, and Portland Streetcar

Placemakers Exchange

Each year, the Planning & Sustainability Office hosts the Placemakers Exchange. This annual symposium brings together students, faculty, and community placemakers to engage each other on the tactical strategies to enliven our city and campus

Placemakers Exchange

Supporting the PSU Ecosystem

PLANNING

Planning translates the PSU vision into physical space through strategic placemaking, mapping resources, space planning, and capital investments. By setting the standards for how we move, study, and gather, we shape an urban campus that functions efficiently and supports academic success.

SUSTAINABILITY

The PSU sustainability office is first and foremost a connector. We monitor and report progress toward a just, resilient future, while convening campus and community leaders to develop sustainable policies. We launch (and support) the hands-on projects and programs that make PSU a true sustainability leader in higher education.

Learn & Connect

Campus Programs & Initiatives

Student Programs & Leadership

Public & Private Collaboration

Get the latest from the Planning & Sustainability Office

Dog park sign being unveiled by two women standing on each side of the sign.

May 21st 2026

Downtown Portland's first off-leash dog park opens at PSU

Portland State opened downtown Portland’s first dog park May 20, filling...

October 29th 2025

Riding the Next Career Wave: Water@PSU

Water isn’t just essential for life, it’s part of the daily routines and experiences of living. Whether it's helping us make our morning cup of coffee, nurture our garden or warm up in a hot shower, water plays the supporting role in nearly everything we do....

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