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EcoDistricts

We’ve learned how to green buildings. The next stage is to green whole neighborhoods. It starts with the vision of the people who live and work there.

It can be difficult to imagine what sustainability will look like across a city or region.

Instead of being daunted by these challenges, the ecodistrict initiative addresses them at the neighborhood scale. Through the collaborative vision of residents, researchers and planners, ecodistricts can serve as models of innovative technologies and solutions that can be scaled up.

What is an Ecodistrict?

An ecodistrict is a highly integrated neighborhood that is vibrant, resource efficient and engages residents in promoting human connections and well-being. It is home to smart buildings; strives to capture and reuse energy, water and waste on site; offers a range of transportation options; provides open space for people and natural areas for wildlife; and tracks tangible progress toward neighborhood sustainability over time.

The SoMa Ecodistrict

Centered on campus, we are to create the South of Market (SoMa) ecodistrict, one of five pilot ecodistricts in Portland.

Join the conversation on Twitter with hash tag #ecodistrict

Additional Resources:

Portland Sustainability Institute
Oregon Sustainability Center