Public-Private Collaboration Yields Many Benefits
Published Feb 13, 2009
Portland State University President Wim Wiewel sees transportation as one key element of urban planning.
A history of business and government leaders uniting behind common goals has helped Portland gain a reputation as a transportation pacesetter and one of the world’s best places to live.
That’s according to Wim Wiewel, president of Portland State University and a national expert in urban planning.
“I think a real key to success is collaboration between the public and private sectors,” he says. “Portland shows that to best advantage.”
Born in the Netherlands, Wiewel held academic posts at the University of Baltimore and the University of Illinois at Chicago before moving to Portland in mid-2008 to take the helm of Oregon’s largest and only urban university. On his first day, he commuted by bicycle to PSU’s downtown campus, as do an estimated 2,000 other people who work or study there.
Wiewel says he is proud of his new hometown, especially its position at the forefront of smart growth, urban planning and mass transit. “Urban form – how we work, live and transport ourselves between work and home – influences how much energy we consume and how we are able to maintain our social relations,” he says.
A crucial challenge is to develop economic, environmental and social structures that will serve subsequent generations well while satisfying current needs, Wiewel says. “To do that, we will need to come up with specific solutions regarding water management, transportation and housing development.”
Story by Renee Elder
Photo by Jeff Adkins
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