From the Directors:

As spring blooms in Oregon, the SCI offices in Eugene and Portland are buzzing with energy and excitement. For our graduating students, that energy manifests as plans for new careers, summer trips, and future coursework take shape. Each has incredible capability and talent to create good in the world around them, and we look forward to seeing their achievements and contributions in the years to come.

At Urbanism Next, a generous $1 million of support from the University of Oregon’s Office of the President provides the backing to realize our goal of establishing a clearinghouse for research while continuing to lead the international dialog surrounding the impacts of emerging technologies on cities. As our projects move forward with cities in the Pacific Northwest, Urbanism Next is helping move the national conversation forward with guidance on policies and planning for autonomous vehicles, e-commerce, and the sharing economy. We are grateful and eager to have this institutional support that allows us to increase our capacity, lead workshops, develop policy briefs, and work toward balanced outcomes that promote equity, the economy, and the environment simultaneously.

A different manifestation of leadership continues to grow out of SCI’s Oregon origins and into the global community through the EPIC-Network. New programs based on the SCYP model are in development in communities as widespread as Zambia and Brazil, and trainings on the model are scheduled for the Philippines as well as the Pacific Northwest. We are excited to support the network’s goal to double in size over the next four years.

The program that started it all, the Sustainable City Year Program, enters its tenth year this fall. This past year points to exciting opportunities for the future as we have completed large partnerships with two "non-traditional" entities: the TriMet transit system in the Portland metro area and the small city of La Pine. SCYP continues to simultaneously enhance the sustainability of our communities and training the next generation Oregon workforce and we look forward to serving Oregon communities over the next decade by bringing resourcefulness, energy, and innovation community goals throughout the state..

We are thankful for all of the partnerships and support we have received this year. About 80% of all our work is financially supported by donations, contracts, and grants external to the university.  We are appreciative of all who are as equally ambitious and impatient as we are to accelerate change in cities and higher education across the country and globe, within Oregon communities far beyond our campuses, and in students across the entire range of academic disciplines who are hungry to make a difference while still in school.  We look forward to your support as we enter an extremely exciting year with tremendous opportunity to make a difference.

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