Explore the proper livability and mobility of Portland

If you list the current sustainable cities in the United States, many people may think of New York and Seattle, which are extremely strict with building codes, or San Francisco, which strives to strengthen mass transit. Among possible candidates in U.S., Portland, the most populated city in Oregon with less popular tourism, seems be the least-likely to be on the list. But Its sustainable performance turned out to be even better!

In August this year, the famous international think tank " American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, ACEEE " chose to hold its annual conference ‘2019 summer study on energy efficiency in industry’ in Portland. I gained significant insight into industrial energy efficiency at the conference. Meanwhile, I also took time out to explore the city's " sustainable livability and mobility ". 

Portland Mall Revitalization: enhanced urban accessibility

Portland's sustainable performance has actually stood out in several ratings a decade ago. At that time, a sustainable life company in the United States conducted a study to review the urban sustainability. The study consisted of 16 aspects, including economic, environmental, green and clean technology etc. And Portland was ranked the top for two consecutive years!

There is a reason for such an excellent performance. As early as the 1970s, Portland positioned itself as a " space for citizens ", allowing light rails, buses, bicycles and private cars to coexist on the Portland Mall without compromising sidewalk space. The government planned bus patron on the sidewalk, and to separate the shared transit way for both buses and the light rails from roadways for cars.

You must be curious! Where did so much road space come from? To deal with road space shortage, most of Portland's mass transit is mainly "one-way street", which means that when passengers get on vehicles heading to the right, they must go to adjacent street where vehicles traveling to the left when returning to the same place. Such planning has reduced traffic, ensured the right of way for pedestrians, and even left space for public art. The permeable pavement were able to be constructed and there were still spaces to accommodate plants on the sidewalks, which revitalized the city’s connectivity and also achievd flood control effects.

Large-scale afforestation and acclaimed as the livable city

In addition to the convenient public transportation system, there are many green parks scattered in the city, including an internationally renowned case for water treatment: Tanner Spring Park. In fact, this area was originally a wetland lake, and was then filled and developed into a commercial area because of economic development. However, by the end of the 20th century, the government decided to make a major renovation, restoring nearly 0.9 acres of the wetland among its surrounding residential areas.

Under careful design, the park became the first case in Portland using local natural ecology to treat rainwater and to regulate the local ecosystem. The rainwater collection system installed around the wetland can transport water into the park, and then treated and purified by the soil layer and the ecological pool, which formed a healthy water circulation system. Natural-based solutions (NBS) were used in many places in the park to achieve a win-win effect of ecological and social well being, and these solutions also provide strong environmental education significance. When I visited the wetland, many children were observing creatures in the pool here while many adults were resting aside. It is true that this kind of quietness and peace will make people stay a little longer.

Tanner Spring Park is an oasis in urban Portland

Unexpectedly found the world's first neighborhood certified as LEED v.4 Platinum for Neighborhood Development (ND)

In addition, I found the first neighborhood to be certified as LEED v.4 Platinum for Neighborhood Development (ND). In the neighborhood, green spaces and ecological pools scattered between the buildings. The entire community adopts NORM (Natural Organic Recycling Machine) water recycling system, and the system decentralizes water treatment and treats sewage on-site. During the process, sewage and rainwater will pass through the anaerobic digestion device, the filtration device, and then filtrated by three layers of green space and wetland. And after that, the water will be transported to deoxidation devices. In the end, the community will be directly supplied with the water after the disinfection. Therefore, 100% of the water used by the residents is recycled form sewage. Comparing to wastewater treatment systems in large metropolitan areas, electricity consumption of the decentralized wastewater treatment is significantly reduced.

Last year, the Delta Foundation and ACEEE collaborated to compose a policy report on low-carbon housing and traveling in the United States. It was mentioned that it’s mandatory to disclose energy consumption of a building for house transactions in Portland. It is obvious that the city government attaches great importance to energy efficiency of buildings. During the stay in Portland, I visited Portland's unique and sustainable attractions, which made me thought that the building codes and transportation planning in Portland could be an excellent model for Taiwan.