Opportunity

Program Makes City

The city is the laboratory, the classroom, the crossroads where teaching and learning, research and service come together through the UO Portland Urban Workshop.

Linking students with public agencies and nonprofit organizations, the workshop provides municipal governments with assistance on design, planning, and research projects in the Portland metropolitan area. It also gives students opportunities to learn by doing and to meet professionals.

“The students have a lot of contact with professional and community groups and public officials,” says Associate Professor Gerry Gast. “They get a lot of hands-on experience.”

Kenneth Riddle, M.Arch.’04, participated in workshops addressing development along the Columbia River and suburban areas of Portland. “One of the great things about theprogram was its location in downtown Portland,” says Riddle. “For most of us, this was our first interaction with Portland’s architects. It created an important line of communication which helped our professional careers when we graduated.” For Riddle, who now works at SERA Architects in Portland, college was possible only through grants, loans, and a graduate teaching fellowship. “Without financial aid, I would have been unable to attend school.”