Links

The Urban Greenspaces Institute is actively involved in numerous issues related to urban parks, trails, and Greenspaces planning. The following are links to some of the agencies, programs, and events that relate to the Institute’s work:

	Audubon Society of Portland, 10,000 member chapter of National Audubon Society, the largest chapter in the United States.
Urban Naturalist publication.

	Coalition for a Livable Future, a coalition of nonprofit organizations, businesses, and individuals committed to creating a just and sustainable metropolitan region.
CLF Board of Trustees meeting.

	Portland Parks and Recreation and Portland Park Board. Mike Houck sits as a member of the Portland Parks Board and works directly with city staff on urban park, trail, and greenspace issues.
Portland Parks Board

	City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) watershed planning program. The Institute works closely with BES staff on urban stormwater management issues. Mike Houck was appointed by the City of Portland to represent the Institute on Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development and Multnomah County’s joint Sustainable Development Commission. The City of Portland and Multnomah County are noted for their green building, energy conservation, solid waste reduction, and green house gas emission reduction programs. The Institute’s role on the commission is to ensure ecosystem, park and greenspace issues are integrated into the city’s and county’s nationally and internationally renowned sustainable development policies and programs.
The Institute works with BES staffer Tom Liptan on issues related to ecoroofs and other urban stormwater management strategies.
The Bureau of Environmental Services Watershed Plan promises to address important stormwater management issues in Portland.

Urban Greenspaces Institute office.

Mike Houck works closely with Dr. Joe Poracsky, professor of Geography.

Portland State University, Geography Department. Mike Houck is an adjunct instructor in PSU’s Geography Department, where he teaches and works closely with Dr. Joe Poracsky and others on issues related to urban natural resources. The Institute’s offices are in the department’s Center for Spatial Analysis and Research.

Landscape Architect David Ausherman of the planning firm Fregonese-Calthorpe, providing information to GPAC relevant to planning a regional landscape protection plan.

Metro Council

Metro, the only directly elected regional government in the United States. Mike Houck sits on Metro’s Greenspaces Policy Advisory Committee (GPAC), a committee that makes recommendations to Metro Council on issues related to regional parks, trails, and greenspaces. He also sits on MTAC, Metro Technical Advisory Committee, a committee of professional planners, nonprofit organizations, and citizens that advises Metro and the regional Metro Policy Advisory Committee (MPAC) on issues related to regional growth management.

Rud Platt, Director, Ecological Cities Project.

Mike Houck sits on the advisory board for the Ecological Cities Project, Amherst Massachusetts. He has worked with Ecological Cities director, Dr. Rutherford Platt, on issues related to urban ecology at the national level.

"Town and country must be married, and out of this joyous union will spring a new hope, a new life, a new civilization."

-- Ebenezer Howard