About the Sustainable City Year Program
The Sustainable City Year Program is an innovative university-community partnership program founded by the Sustainable Cities Institute (SCI) at the University of Oregon in 2009-10. In this unique model, existing courses, faculty, and students from across campus are purposefully directed toward a single Oregon community over an academic year to address vexing issues identified by the community. SCYP and the students, faculty, and communities it partners with are a shining example of Oregon innovation, leadership, and how leveraging resources can contribute to meaningful, additional, and society-wide value.
SCYP is more than just students working on a project for a class. It is creating Oregon’s future workforce, developing a connection with local government and Oregon communities, and generating creative, out of the box ideas by high achieving students and faculty experts. The projects that SCYP works on are prioritized by our partners, which means they are important and relevant. It is difficult to put a limit on SCYP’s potential, just as communities have limitless possibilities to improve the quality of life for their residents, businesses, and visitors.
Partnering with SCYP
Cities and public agencies apply to partner with SCYP – detailed information about the partnership and application is part of Request for Proposals.
2022-23 Partner
City of Sisters
The Sustainable City Year Program will be returning to central Oregon as it partners with the City of Sisters. Located at the foot of the Cascades mountains in central Oregon, Sisters offers beautiful natural surroundings, a variety of year-round recreational opportunities, and a vibrant local economy. Now in its 14th year of partnerships with Oregon communities, SCYP Sisters will kick off fall term with four courses, all in the UO’s School of Planning, Public Policy and Management. This year will also highlight the collaborative nature that characterizes Sisters and Sisters Country, with the City, School District, and Parks and Recreation District all participating in the SCYP partnership. Winter and spring term courses will be added throughout the year as project and course matches are made.
FALL 2022
A New Future for the Sisters Elementary School Site
- City Partner Leads: Curt Scholl, Scott Woodford, Jen Holland
- Classes: PPPM 610, PPPM 613, PPPM 617
- Faculty: Anne Brown, Marc Schlossberg, Kaarin Knudson, Megan Banks
Project Description: The city of Sisters, Sisters School District, and Sisters Parks and Recreation District partnered to evaluate potential opportunities for the existing Sisters Elementary School site when the school vacates the site and moves to its new campus. Students envisioned site-based planning and design proposals focused on three distinct topic areas:
- Adaptive Reuse and Teacher Workforce Housing
- Age-Friendly Neighborhood
- Recreation/Community Center; Outdoor Recreation
Recommendations: Students learned about the community's values, including livability, accessibility, equity, and safety, and applied these to their overarching themes of connectivity, built spaces with a focus on workforce housing, and open and green spaces. Students proposed cohesive on- and off-site transportation networks to facilitate transportation options; diverse, affordable housing options to support a local workforce; and green spaces to encourage a healthy lifestyle for Sisters’ residents of all ages, incomes, and abilities.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to the City of Sisters, Sisters School District, and Sisters Parks and Recreation District for the opportunity to be a part of Sisters future. Special thanks to Sisters Community Development Director Scott Woodford, Sisters School District Superintendent Curt Scholl, Sisters Parks and Recreation District Executive Director Jennifer Holland, Sisters City Recorder Kerry Prosser, Sisters City Manager pro tem Joe O’Neill, Sisters Public Works Director Paul Bertagna for their participation. SCYP also acknowledges the Sisters City Council, Mayor, and Sisters School Board for their support.