For more than 15 years, a unique program at the University of Oregon has given cities around the state a valuable resource: hundreds of students and faculty members focused on solving real-world problems. For a second year running, the Sustainable City Year Program is working in Oakridge.
So far, 482 students have contributed to 16 Oakridge projects, ranging from tourism strategies to environmental analysis. Program co-founder and UO professor Marc Schlossberg said one of the standout efforts is from architecture students exploring “missing middle” workforce housing—an often controversial topic in small communities.
“University students come up with some fantastic designs for middle housing in the community,” he said. “When the broader community was engaged at the end, [they] were really floored about what was possible and really surprised at how consistent the housing suggestions were with community values, community aesthetics and price points.
Schlossberg said it's thrilling to take a topic that can be contentious in the abstract, and really ground it into a productive conversation to move something as important as affordable housing forward.
“Students have this really amazing ability to be both visionary in their design but also disarming for skeptics in the community,” he said. “They can help facilitate a productive and positive conversation about what's possible.”
Schlossberg said participating cities have fiscal “skin in the game” to connect with the university. The partnership with Oakridge is supported financially by the city, and is boosted by federal congressional funding secured by Oregon’s senators.
From classrooms to city governments
The Sustainable City Year Program draws on UO students from architecture, public policy, business, earth sciences, journalism, and more. The university says the program has put more than 5,500 students to work on projects in 21 cities throughout Oregon.
Schlossberg said the projects often help cities prepare for major decisions or future investments. Through collaborative projects with city governments, students deliver actionable solutions. While much of the work is “pre-consultant”—helping communities ask better questions—some student proposals have led directly to implementation.
One of the most notable examples came from a past partnership with Salem, where business students proposed changes to wastewater operations that now generate roughly $800,000 annually through tipping fees and energy production, Schlossberg said.
And a 2021 architecture class working on affordable housing for Troutdale took the lead on an 85-unit apartment building which is slated to open this month, according to the university.
Students have also designed a park for Albany and helped Redmond improve bicycle transportation.
Projects in Oakridge include ground-penetrating radar surveys for hydrology and slope stability near TV Butte, marketing support for local housing feasibility studies, transportation planning and communications support, including Allen Hall Advertising’s work on Oakridge’s First Friday Art Walk.
UO model goes global
The Sustainable City Year Program began at the University of Oregon in 2009 and has since inspired similar efforts around the world. Universities on four continents have adopted versions of the model after training with the UO team.
Schlossberg said the scale of the program is what makes it transformative.
“Individual courses have partnered with communities for decades,” he said. “But directing dozens of courses toward one city over a year or two—that’s the innovation. It’s a game changer for both campuses and communities.”
As Oakridge continues its two-year collaboration, Schlossberg said the city is tapping into a deep well of student creativity, research, and enthusiasm—while helping train Oregon’s next generation of civic leaders.
