About the Sustainable City Year Program
The Sustainable City Year Program is an innovative university-community partnership program founded by the Sustainable Cities Institute (SCI) at the University of Oregon in 2009-10. In this unique model, existing courses, faculty, and students from across campus are purposefully directed toward a single Oregon community over an academic year to address vexing issues identified by the community. SCYP and the students, faculty, and communities it partners with are a shining example of Oregon innovation, leadership, and how leveraging resources can contribute to meaningful, additional, and society-wide value.
SCYP is more than just students working on a project for a class. It is creating Oregon’s future workforce, developing a connection with local government and Oregon communities, and generating creative, out of the box ideas by high achieving students and faculty experts. The projects that SCYP works on are prioritized by our partners, which means they are important and relevant. It is difficult to put a limit on SCYP’s potential, just as communities have limitless possibilities to improve the quality of life for their residents, businesses, and visitors.
Funding Acknowledgment
Community partnerships are possible in part due to support from U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, as well as former Congressman Peter DeFazio, who secured federal funding for SCYP through Congressionally Directed Spending.
Partnering with SCYP
Cities and public agencies apply to partner with SCYP - learn more about the partnership process and how SCYP can help communities explore solutions to their biggest challenges.
2024-26 Partner
City of Tualatin
The City of Tualatin is a thriving, welcoming community of nearly 28,000 residents. Known for its exceptional quality of life, strong community involvement, and attractive location, Tualatin offers a balance of small-town charm and big-city access. Its strategic location 12 miles south of Portland and 30 miles north of Salem at the crossroads of Interstates 5 and 205, combined with commuter rail access via the Westside Express Service (WES), makes Tualatin a vital hub for both residents and businesses in the Portland metropolitan area.
In 2022 the city adopted the Core Opportunity Reinvestment Area Plan, which includes a vision to strengthen the social, cultural, and economic vitality of this 457-acre central Tualatin area. SCYP classes will support the city’s downtown revitalization goal to create a community identity that encourages investment and redevelopment in the downtown core area.
Tualatin's residents enjoy over 200 acres of public parks and riverfront spaces, top-rated schools through the Tigard-Tualatin School District, and one of Oregon’s premier shopping destinations—Bridgeport Village. The city is also rich in recreational and cultural offerings, including the famed Giant Pumpkin Regatta.
FALL 2025
Downtown Tualatin Revitalization Planning and Design
- Classes: PPPM 608, 610, 613
- Faculty: Megan Banks, Anne Brown, and Kaarin Knudson
- Leads: Sidaro Sin (Urban Renewal / Economic Development) and Erin Engman (Planning)
Project Description: The City of Tualatin will partner with SCYP Community and Regional Planning graduate students to help establish a foundation for downtown revitalization by assessing existing site conditions and proposing preliminary design ideas based on different themes such as connectivity, equity, placemaking, and resilience. Planning students will also conduct site analyses that will support subsequent architecture studios.
FALL 2025
Multi-modal Transportation Connectivity Study
- Class: PPPM 399 Urban Transportation
- Faculty: Robert Binder
- Leads: Sidaro Sin (Urban Renewal / Economic Development) and Mike McCarthy (Engineering)
Project Description: Students will conduct a transportation study that will include a review of multi-modal options to connect the downtown with abutting residential neighborhoods, commercial centers, and the future riverfront park. The scope of the study could include an existing site and conditions assessment, multi-modal evaluation, parking, land use and zoning review, analysis of regulatory and policy contexts, environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural research, and mapping. The goal of this work is to provide the design studios with transportation-related background information.
FALL 2025
Downtown Revitalization Market Study
- Class: Oregon Consulting Group
- Faculty: Scott Day
- Lead: Sidaro Sin (Urban Renewal / Economic Development)
Project Description: A key component of the downtown revitalization project is to strengthen the downtown business climate. While previous economic development initiatives included an action plan from 2001 and a strategic plan from 2014, no recent market studies have been conducted. This student-led market analysis will help advance revitalization efforts by examining the downtown’s role within Tualatin’s broader economic landscape and identifying opportunities to leverage its existing assets and potential.
FALL 2025
Timber Tectonics in the Digital Age
- Class: ARCH 484/584 (UO) and WSE 425/525 (OSU)
- Faculty: Nancy Cheng and Mariapaola Riggio
- Leads: Dustin Schull (Parks &Recreation Director) and Kira Hein (Project Manager)
Project Description: Architecture, Wood Science, and Engineering students will design and construct a temporary structure using “kit-of-parts” construction methods to be located at the future downtown riverfront park. The scope will also include a high-level site analysis that will help inform the development of the structure. Centered on the adaptable nature of reciprocal frame construction, the class focuses on the sustainable reuse of panel materials such as plywood and Mass Plywood Panels. The kit-of parts method means the structure could be quickly deployed to add immediate benefit to the future as well as dissembled, moved, and reassembled. Potential design ideas for the structure include a park pavilion or boat storage.
WINTER 2026
Architecture Design Studio
- Class: ARCH 484/584 Architecture Design Studio
- Faculty: Hector Rodriguez
- Lead: Sidaro Sin (Urban Renewal / Economic Development)
Project Description: This studio will explore a range of downtown design options—including buildings, streetscapes, and public spaces— that reflect and reinforce Tualatin’s identity and will also consider its relationship and connectivity to the new riverfront park project. Using input from the ongoing Community Identity process (expected to be completed by October 2025), students will translate community values into plans, architectural drawings, and visual renderings. The goal is to develop a preferred set of architectural styles and complementary streetscape features that can guide future downtown design standards. Several key downtown sites with redevelopment potential have been identified as focus areas for the studio. The outcomes of this project will help inspire the community and developers to reimagine what’s possible and help position the downtown for redevelopment and revitalization.
This image by M.O. Stevens is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
TENTATIVE
Floodplain Study
- Class: TBD
- Faculty: TBD
- Leads: Sidaro Sin (Urban Renewal / Economic Development) and Mike McCarthy (Engineering)
Project Description: As with many areas in Tualatin, the downtown core is located within a floodplain, which can present challenges for redevelopment. This project will provide a preliminary floodplain analysis to help guide future downtown redevelopment efforts. The goal is to reduce the extent to which the floodplain deters new development by offering early-stage insights that can inform planning and design. The city is particularly interested in exploring a range of creative solutions that address floodplain requirements, while offering strategies to navigate associated regulations and risks.
TENTATIVE
Stormwater Management Study
- Class: TBD
- Faculty: TBD
- Leads: Sidaro Sin (Urban Renewal / Economic Development) and Mike McCarthy (Engineering)
Project Description: Stormwater management in downtown Tualatin is challenging due to existing impervious surfaces, but these conditions should not deter future redevelopment. Ideally, this project will provide a preliminary stormwater management analysis to guide future development efforts. The goal is to equip developers and city staff with foundational information that supports innovative site-specific solutions in later phases. The city is especially interested in having a range of creative options to address stormwater challenges with innovative and sustainable strategies.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to the City of Tualatin for the opportunity to be a part of Tualatin’s future. Special thanks to Sidaro (Sid) Sin, Urban Renewal / Economic Development Manager, for serving as the lead contact for project coordination and support. SCYP also acknowledges the Tualatin City Council, Mayor, and staff.
This SCYP and City of Tualatin partnership is possible, in part, with support from U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, as well as former Congressman Peter DeFazio, who secured federal funding for SCYP through Congressionally Directed Spending and the US Department of Education. With additional matching funds from the City of Tualatin, the partnership will allow UO students and faculty to study and make recommendations on city-identified projects and issues.