PlacerSustain: Voices of Placer County's Sustainability Community

[THIS IS AN EXCERPT FROM MATERIALS LOCATED ON THE PORTLAND SUSTAINABILITY INSTITUTE WEBSITE.  THE PORTLAND MODEL FOR ADDRESSING SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES IS RELEVANT HERE TO INFORM BOTH SACRAMENTO REGIONAL EFFORTS, AND LOCAL COMMUNITY WORK.  IN THE URBAN SETTING, THE INSTITUTE IS PLACING EMPHASIS ON WORK AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD LEVEL, IN OTHER WORDS, LOCAL.  IN PLACER COUNTY, WHILE MUCH WORK IS NEEDED ON REGIONAL CAPACITIES, WE TOO BELIEVE THAT LOCAL WORK AT THE GRASS ROOTS LEVEL IS INDISPENSABLE, AND NOT SIMPLY AN ADJUNCT TO REGIONAL EFFORTS. ] HERE IS A PORTION OF THE PORTLAND INFORMATION ON "WHAT THEY DO." 

"We work to create big and game-changing ideas.  Our multi-sector structure systematically brings together business, higher education, nonprofit and municipal leaders to drive a set of next generation urban sustainability initiatives for the Portland metro region.

We’re testing the neighborhood as the most nimble unit to implement urban sustainability.  We’re helping to create one of the world’s highest performing buildings — making sure it comes alive with partnerships and programs that keep our region on the leading edge of innovation.  We’re also looking at our metro region’s economy — tying its growth to climate protection strategies to reach our environmental targets and improve our quality of life.

We do more than think and analyze.  It’s in our DNA to test and implement.  And we are not satisfied with a single working experiment.  Our projects must be replicable and scalable in order for us to consider them a success.

So how do we get there?  We make sure to incorporate these three elements into everything we do."