Portland Sunday Parkways

Sunday Parkways is one of my favorite events in Portland. Combining biking, walking, skating, and strolling with block parties, games, music, food, and festivities in our amazing parks is nearly unbeatable. Starting in North Portland in 2008 with one Sunday event, the Parkways have grown to include multiple parts of Portland on 5 Sundays this year.

This is huge public-private collaboration to close the streets for an extended car-free loop that connects multiple parks all day. It’s a dream to ride all day amongst friends and neighbors and new friends reveling in the open road and the variety of entertainment and activities that await you at each park. On some of the longer open stretches last year, I remember letting myself daydream that this is actually how the city always functions and feels. I think of it creating new urban planning muscle-memory for what’s normal. If it’s difficult to imagine a world with reduced reliance on automobiles, this is an opportunity to develop a vision for it. I know it’s a sunny Sunday daydream, but so were automobiles and highways at one time. Take a ride on one of these glorious Sunday Parkways, and you’ll see. . .and look out for a 6′8″ guy on an orange bike.

For schedules and route maps, visit the Sunday Parkways site.

For more information on the collaboration and how this is manifesting in other metro areas, check out the Sunday Parkways Blog. (Images by Anomalily)

May 15, 2010 · Filed Under events

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Beyond 2020: the Sustainability Unconference, part 3

Part 3 of Beyond 2020: the Sustainability (un)Conference is all about collaboration. Part 2 was about “Growing the Choir,” exploring ways of engaging the business leaders in sustainability efforts, but this time around participants will be bringing questions about the place of collaboration in sustainability.

At first mention of the topic, I think back to collaborative projects in school, and I immediately think of group efforts that illuminate the social dynamics and politics already playing out in adolescence. Not all members contribute equally; not all have the same skill set and drive; not all have the skills to make collaboration work to their advantage to result in and end product that couldn’t have otherwise been acheived. The skills for “synergizing” are unclear and widely untaught, so I am interested in seeing what people have to say about how this can play out in our adult lives as citizens, neighbors, and business people driving for a more vital sustainable future. Personally, I feel like I collaborate in many ways throughout the course of running my business, improving my practices, and as I engage in various creative efforts in the sustainable business world and real estate market. I’m excited to glean and integrate some new skills and communication techniques that can empower my collaborations to be more mutually beneficial, enjoyable, and powerful.

Here some of the leading questions and thoughts to preface the agenda, which will not actually be decided until the event, as per the Open Spaces format. From Portland Beyond 2020:

Collaboration for Sustainable Business

How can you put collaboration to work for environmentally, socially, and financially sustainable business? How can you use collaborative tools and processes to share and benefit from abundance?

When it comes to sustainability in business, there’s power in numbers. A coordinated group of people or businesses can make a greater impact than individuals acting alone. But in order for businesses to collaborate successfully, you must address several issues.

  • What endeavors are best done collaboratively and how do you identify common goals?
  • How can you find and join forces with fellow business leaders?
  • How do you balance the goals, skills, and tasks among your collaborative partners?
  • What are the decision-making and management options for collaborative enterprises?
  • What are examples of successful collaborations in Portland and beyond?

Come to the 3rd Beyond 2020 Sustainability Unconference on May 6th to seek and offer answers to these questions.

  • Present your ideas and needs, and offer your skills for collaborative projects.
  • Share experiences with collaboration tools and processes.
  • Develop skills for collaboration toward sustainable business.
  • Discuss what you need and can offer for collaborative projects to create more sustainable business and the world.

Join us, May 6th, 5-8pm at KEEN Footwear (926 NW 13th Ave., Portland, OR 97209). For more details, check out Beyond 2020. Pass it on!

May 5, 2010 · Filed Under events

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