Portlanders and BPS staff,
I am grateful to Bureau of Planning and Sustainability staff for their numerous accomplishments over the past year and greatly appreciate every Portlander who helped make these efforts possible. Over the past year, you engaged in projects by attending events, offered testimony and public comment that helped improve processes, projects, and policies, and supported us in your work, volunteer, and livelihood spaces.
Thanks to your contributions, our Long-range Planning, Garbage and Recycling, PCEF, Community Technology, Climate, and internal services staff reached several key milestones in our 2024 plan. Your trust and resilience in the midst of change as well as your motivation to improve this city we all love will continue to benefit Portlanders for years to come.
Long-range Planning
This year, City Council unanimously adopted Portland’s first Housing Production Strategy, which set multiple housing projects into motion. These projects will support the need of 120,000 more housing units by 2045. In addition, City Council approved three projects to address discrete code issues, which will provide greater flexibility for signage in the Rose Quarter area, establish a more equitable odor code and enforcement, and help Portland comply with state regulations.
In addition, Planning staff worked on the Montgomery Park Area Plan, which City Council approved this month. This plan will support mid-wage job growth, housing production, and a Portland Streetcar extension. BPS staff also wrapped up the LGBTQ+ Historic Resources Project, which honors and preserves the stories of the LGBTQ+ community by identifying and designating places of significance in Portland. Planning staff also performed considerable behind-the-scenes work that will support robust stakeholder engagement for multiple projects in 2025.
Garbage and Recycling
Thanks to the efforts of BPS Garbage and Recycling staff, Portlanders have recycled over six tons of batteries just since June. We also launched a new school education program that serves kindergarten through sixth grade at all five school districts. Staff gave 42 presentations at 13 schools (62% at Title 1 schools) and educated 900 students as part of this program, which focuses on recycling and waste prevention. Staff also were able to install side guards that protect cyclists and pedestrians on over 500 waste collection trucks to help keep Portlanders safer.
Garbage and Recycling staff also continued to serve Portland by responding to more than 10,000 requests to remove graffiti and removed more than 453,000 sq. ft. of it around the city. They also provided 3,000 households with free disposal, including onsite collections at affordable housing, where 25% of materials were salvaged for reuse or recycled. In addition, staff provided outreach and education programs and events – including composting, apartment recycling, and master recycler events – that further benefit Portlanders.
Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF)
Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) staff worked to ensure the funds from this vital program are invested in community-led projects that reduce carbon emissions, create economic opportunity, and increase resilience for Portland. Throughout 2024, PCEF staff focused collaboration, community grants, ongoing CIP implementation, and budget refinement. They identified and allocated an increase in funds to support multiple strategic programs that directly or indirectly support the Climate Emergency Workplan.
The impact of these efforts is evident as PCEF funds helped Depave remove more than 38,500 sq. ft. of pavement across six sites, provided transportation options to people transitioning from homelessness with Forth at Bybee Lakes, provided an acre of land for over a dozen women immigrants to grow healthy food and create income at De Rose Farms, supported Proud Ground, which makes homeownership possible for low- to moderate-income families at net-zero homes, promoted healthy, active living through Sunday Parkways with PBOT, and delivered more than 6,000 e-bikes to Portlanders, as well as education, safety and mechanic/technician training, and innovative multi-family storage and charging.
And as we close out the year, they’ve had several big moments at Council. Earlier in December, Council unanimously approved increased funding for the Cooling Portland program, which will bring efficient heating and cooling units to 10,000 additional households. Staff was able to implement several needed updates to City code that capture updates to programs throughout the last year, and earlier today, Council shared enthusiastic support for PCEF’s Collaborating for Climate Action program which will invest $300 million into large-scale projects in the community. Children will get sidewalks to schools and comfortable learning environments. TriMet will get to strengthen the highest ridership transportation line that’s been ignored. Households historically excluded will get on-site solar resulting in energy savings and bill reductions.
Community Technology
Community technology staff helped Portlanders by winning grants and distributing grant funds through multiple investments in the community. They completed the community cohort leads cycle of the open data program to support community data use while engaging in conversation about the greater impacts of this work.
They Staff also supported multiple events including the Community Technology Celebration, Digital Rights Days, the W. E. B. Du Bois and Digital Griot Art Exhibition, MHCRC peer learning event, and donating $4 million to area partnership events. This team was also able to negotiate a new Comcast franchise for the City, which will be considered in early 2025 as well as undertook a strategic plan with the Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission and Community Media Centers to chart its future as cable subscriptions continue to decline.
Climate
During 2024, BPS’s Climate team worked on multiple policies and programs designed to help Portland meet our 2030 and 2050 carbon reduction goals. On March 13, City Council unanimously voted to phase out gas-powered leaf blowers in Portland. This collaboration between Climate staff, Multnomah County, and area partners goes into effect January 1, 2026, and will help reduce noise and air pollution.
Climate staff also worked on updates to the Renewable Fuel Standard Administrative Rules, including developing a compliance database that offers three compliance options to help fuel companies increase renewable diesel. In addition, commercial energy reporting resumed after a three-year pause during the height of COVID. Commercial buildings are the largest source of carbon emissions in Portland, and tracking their performance metrics can help building owners identify options to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
The Climate team also coordinates the multi-bureau Climate Emergency Workplan, which includes 47 priority actions designed to help Portland reach our climate goals. As this year’s report notes, significant progress was made; however, there is still much more work that needs to be done. As Portland moves into the third and final year, Climate staff remains committed to helping make further progress and to monitoring data on progress made. This is evident through the new, interactive Climate and Energy Dashboard that this team produced this year which provides unprecedented transparency into Portland’s carbon emissions and energy data.
Internal Services
This work would not be possible without a wide array of staff who support BPS’s various teams. In 2024, internal services staff supported and enabled these accomplishments and much more.
Finance staff helped BPS navigate big budget changes. Tech services created the Climate team’s dashboard and database as well as provided GIS and maps/data support while ensuring staff had the equipment and software needed to complete work efficiently. The Equity and Engagement team created a restroom policy now in place at our Vanport offices and provided recruitment assistance for hiring managers, and the Communications team not only supported communications with City Council, area partners, and the community; they also launched e-newsletters for the bureau on a new platform to better serve readers. As these teams grew and shifted with staff, HR and Operations helped with recruitment and hiring as well as helped staff navigate desk and space configuration changes.
It takes every one of us to accomplish the City’s work. I’m grateful for every Portlander who offered their support, input, and contributions over the past year. Your contributions are vital as we seek solutions that make Portland more equitable, healthy, prosperous, and resilient. Thank you for your continued collaboration and assistance that help build a better future for all. It inspires excitement for the work ahead.
Gratefully,
Eric Engstrom, BPS Director