Portland, the largest city in Oregon, is frequently recognized as one of the world’s most environmentally conscious cities due to its high walkability, large community of bicyclists, farm-to-table dining, and over 4,000 hectares of public parks. According to Lonely Planet, Portland has an almost unfair abundance of natural beauty, including beautiful parks, leafy trees, vibrantly flowering shrubs lining quirky residential streets, the Willamette River meandering through town, and Mount Hood on the horizon.
Portland is championed as one of the greenest cities in the world for its forward thinking initiatives. For example, Portland has become a champion of stormwater management by implementing a Green Streets initiative to reduce impervious surface and increase urban green space to increase infiltration of rainwater. It also was one of the first cities to implement an Urban Growth Boundary, requiring increased density and compactness within the city while protecting farmland and natural areas outside of the boundary. Portland also boasts one of the highest parks per-capita acreage in the nation, including large natural areas such as Forest Park and Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge. Portland’s proximity to nature in and just outside the city makes it an ideal city for biophilia.