Now you can show off!
May 11th, 2009You’ve been living in Portland for 1, 5, 10, 30 years or more. When people from out of town come to visit you, there’s often the moment when they ask… “so, I heard that this is the greenest city on earth. Looks like a bunch of buildings and a couple of trains to me. What’s the big deal?” Because you love your city, you know very well how to describe the fun bike culture, the passion for direct trade coffee, local ingredients, and having your chickens in your backyard. You proudly take your guests around on the MAX. This is all good.
You know that the city’s doing a lot to reduce waste, explore renewable energies, etc. But where can you SEE that? What could you point out to make your case? Are there specific places, buildings, neighborhoods, that you could show off while walking or riding around?
A few Portlanders came up with fun answers to these questions. You can now take your visitors on a guided or self-guided walking tour focused on sustainability or ecoroofs and green buildings, or ride with a guide around Portland’s “eco-districts”. Who knows… you might even learn a thing or two along the way.
The “Portland Green” tour explores ecoroofs (with some of the best views in the city), bioswales, raingardens, naturescaping and green streets, as well as a college dorm which uses rainwater to flush its toilets and a microbrewery which uses solar power to brew beer.
Reserve your bike at 503-916-9704.
Their “Green Scene Tour” takes a small group on a 3-wheel electrical car tour of some of Portland’s community associations and sites. Bringing together the ecological, economical, and social aspects of sustainability, the tour goes highlights SCRAP, Tyron Creek State Park, the Ecotrust Building, the Berry Botanic Garden, etc.
Reservations required at 503-317-6793.
The popular company is adding an Urban Design / Sustainability walking tour this year. Guided by local historians and long-time residents, the route goes through the Pearl District and Downtown, highlighting green buildings, transportation options, fun facts, and giving an easy-to-understand overview of Oregon’s main green laws.
Inquire at 503-774-4522 for departure times.
Self-Guided Tour of Portland’s Ecoroofs
The City of Portland offers a lot of information about what’s going on on the sustainability front. With more than 100 ecoroofs in the city, it’s hard not to know a couple of them. But with the city’s downloadable self-guided tour, one can now be inspired to visit the Native American Student & Community Center, the Multnomah County Building, the Metro Regional Center, or the Central Library, among others.
Click on “Tours” on the left-end menu, and pick from the list of tours offered.
Hope to see you roaming the street of your city!
Tags: walking tours; sustainability; green; tours; things to do; outdoors
