2010 Regional Livability Summit a Great Success!

A full house packed Portland State University Ballroom on April 29 for the 8th Annual Regional Livability Summit. Over 350 people attended this year’s event which featured A New Story: Moving Hearts, Minds and Policy in the 21st Century a keynote address by Alan Jenkins, Executive Director of The Opportunity Agenda. The day also included 15 small group breakout sessions, a lunch discussion entitled Green Jobs for an Inclusive, Just & Sustainable Economy and presentation of the Robert L. Liberty Regional Leadership Award to Jim Howell, Strategic Planner at Association of Oregon Rail and Transit Advocates.

Attendees had high praise for Keynote Speaker, Alan Jenkins. His entertaining lessons and reflections on effective public communication resonated across sectors, disciplines, issue areas and interests. One attendee commented that Alan was, “Great - could have listened to him for hours.”

Thanks to all who helped make this year’s Summit a success! Check back for the Summit proceedings report due out end of May.

Earth Day for All and the Challenge of Inequity:  
A Free Public Talk by Ron Sims, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Deputy Director and One of the Nation’s Foremost Leaders on Sustainability and Racial Justice

About 200 people gathered to hear Ron Sims kick off CLF's 2010 Summit with a rousing speech. Elected to three terms as King County, Washington’s Executive, Sims achieved numerous successes, including launching the County's Equity and Social Justice Initiative which aims to ensure that all residents of King County have the same opportunity regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, immigration status, sexual orientation, disability.  An excerpt of his presentation  is available at EarthSayers.tv as part of its Portland Sustainability Leaders Special Collection. Read more about Sims' speech and visit to Portland. Read more about Sims' speech and visit to Portland.

Help CLF Prepare for Equity Atlas 2.0

The Regional Equity Atlas maps equity conditions in the greater metropolitan region. By measuring access to opportunities like affordable housing, transit, parks and grocery stores, the Atlas illustrates which people and places have the best access and which ones have the worst access to these important assets.

Visit www.equityatlas.org to learn more about the Equity Atlas.

Right now we are beginning work to develop the next iteration of the Regional Equity Atlas when the 2010 Census data begins to be available, and we need your input now to identify what equity indicators should be included. Please click here to share your input on what you'd like to see in Equity Atlas 2.0.

Take Action for a Climate Smart Columbia River Crossing Project Now!

The Columbia River Crossing Megabridge is the biggest public works project in our region's history. Projected to cost a whopping $3.6 billion, the CRC aims to rebuild and widen the I-5 bridges spanning the Columbia River.

Unfortunately, the design being considered would significantly increase global warming pollution, harm people’s health, and undermine our region’s vision of a sustainable economy, all while siphoning billions of limited public resources from addressing other critical transportation needs.

For more information regarding CLF's campaign to change the direction of the CRC Megabridge click here.

Shift the Balance

Shift the Balance is our current campaign to influence two big transportation decisions: The big plan--Metro's Regional Transportation Plan Update which will determine how our region will spend $13-20 Billion on transportation projects over the next 20 years. And, the big project--The Columbia River Crossing Project, which is looking to spend $4 Billion to rebuild and expand the I-5 bridges across the Columbia River.

Learn more about regional transportation issues and how we're trying to shift the balance towards a more sustainable and equitable transportation system.

About CLF
The Coalition for a Livable Future is a partnership of over 100 diverse organizations and thousands of individuals working together to create a more equitable and sustainable Portland metropolitan region. Learn more about us.