Background image of aerial photograph of a green, attractive city wit brick buildings, a park with a fountain, and people out enjoying themselves. Portland, OR - Pearl District, Jamison Square, Natural Capital Center

PROGRAM

Built Environment

Lively, diverse, intense cities contain the seeds of their own regeneration, with energy enough to carry over for problems and needs outside themselves.
—Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities

Walking down a city sidewalk, do you ever imagine the ecosystem beneath your feet? Cities are vibrant, living environments. Planned well, they can actively restore surrounding ecosystems and regenerate communities.

From our own home in a restored 100+ old warehouse, to investing in a next generation of living buildings like Seattle’s Bullitt Center, to research, analysis, and decision support for green infrastructure across the region, we are constantly working to reimagine the built environment along nature’s lines.

Green infrastructure innovations can provide essential ecosystem services, such as stormwater filtration, carbon storage, even food provision for growing urban populations.