REDMOND, OR -- The University of Oregon is partnering with the City of Redmond to improve livability and sustainability in the city. After similar partnerships in Medford, Springfield, Salem and Gresham, this is the first time the “Sustainable City Year Program” has ventured over the Cascades.
Oregon associate professor Nico Larco is cofounder of the Sustainable Cities Initiative, and says there is already a lot of involvement.
"The way the program works is, we have somewhere between 25 to 35 courses across the university working on specific projects that, in this case, Redmond has identified that they want to move forward on," Larco says. "Projects range from everything from looking at the airport campus and looking at design guidelines for that, to looking at south 97 corridor and thinking about an urban design for that and development standards, to thinking about street tree programs," he told KBND News.
Larco says the program chose Redmond based on its outstanding application. "A combination of their commitment to sustainability, a really interesting project list – I mean, they’re really thinking broadly about all the pieces where they can work with us and move the dial – and just a great project team from within the city, and private sector partners and organizations. It just seemed like a great fit."
He says students are excited to get started in Central Oregon, next week. The program typically will work with the city over the academic year, starting in August or September and lasting through June. This year, there was interest in starting the bike course before that date.
"We’re kicking things off early," Larco says. "This one class is going to be happening this term. Then, after that, everything else will be starting up really in August and September."
