Depave

DEPAVE EMPOWERS DISENFRANCHISED COMMUNITIES TO OVERCOME SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICES AND ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGH URBAN RE- GREENING. DEPAVE TRANSFORMS OVER-PAVED PLACES, CREATES RESILIENT COMMUNITY GREENSPACES, PROMOTES WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION, AND ADVOCATES FOR POLICY CHANGE TO UNDO MANIFESTATIONS OF SYSTEMIC RACISM.

IN 2022 DEPAVE ENGAGED MORE THAN 400 VOLUNTEERS FOR A TOTAL OF OVER 1500 VOLUNTEER HOURS REMOVING PAVEMENT, INSTALLING NATIVE PLANTS, HOSTING A BLOCK PARTY, AND COMPLETING SUPPLEMENTAL GREENSPACE CONSTRUCTION. WE REMOVED A TOTAL OF 19,800 SQUARE FEET OF PAVEMENT AND REDUCED ANNUAL STORMWATER RUNOFF BY 530,000 GALLONS PER YEAR. ALTOGETHER WE PLANTED OVER 2500 TREES, SHRUBS, AND OTHER NATIVE PLANTS AT FIVE SITES. PROJECTS THIS YEAR INCLUDED: REMOVED A PARKING LOT AND CREATED A NATIVE AMERICAN HEALING GARDEN AT THE NARA NORTHWEST RESIDENTIAL CARE FACILITY IN GRESHAM, OREGON. A 10,000 SQUARE FOOT PARKING LOT WAS REMOVED IN OCTOBER 2022 BY OVER 60 VOLUNTEERS, AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW HEALING GARDEN TOOK PLACE IN THE FOLLOWING MONTHS. COMPLETED A 3900 SQUARE FOOT GREEN SCHOOLYARD AT OLIVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE CENTENNIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT (FOLLOWING A 2021 DEPAVE EVENT THERE). PROJECT ELEMENTS COMPLETED IN 2022 INCLUDE RAIN GARDENS, AN OUTDOOR STAGE, BENCHES, GRAVEL PATHS, A MURAL, AS WELL AS NATIVE PLANTINGS AND TREES. WE HOSTED SEVERAL PLANTING EVENTS IN EARLY 2022 AT OLIVER ELEMENTARY TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT. REMOVED 7,000 SQUARE FEET OF PAVEMENT AND CREATED A NATURE PLAYGROUND AT PATRICK LYNCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE CENTENNIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT OF EAST PORTLAND. OUR PROJECT INCLUDED A STAGE, BENCHES, GRAVEL PATHS, NATIVE PLANTS, RAIN GARDENS, AND SHADE TREES. WE HOSTED A COMMUNITY DEPAVE EVENT AT PATRICK LYNCH, AND BEGAN CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW NATURE PLAYGROUND. REMOVED 2,800 SQUARE FEET OF PAVEMENT TO EXPAND EXISTING TREE WELLS, AND CREATE A COURTYARD FOOD GARDEN AT PENINSULA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT. RETURNED TO WHITMAN ELEMENTARY IN SPRING 2022 THE SITE OF A 2021 PROJECT TO PLANT TREES AND SHRUBS IN THE NEWLY DEPAVED SCHOOLYARD IN EARLY 2022. WE ALSO REVISITED PAST SITES TO REFRESH AND UPDATE THEM WITH NEW PLANTS AND TO REMOVE WEEDS THROUGH OUR GREEN THUMBS PROGRAM. PAST SITES REVISITED IN 2022 INCLUDED KING SE UPLIFT, AND KING AND POWELL BUTTE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. DEPAVE ALSO SEVERAL TOURS, DESIGN WORKSHOPS, AND A BLOCK PARTY FOCUSED ON A CITY OF PORTLAND CENTRAL EASTSIDE STREET GREENING AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, DUBBED SE 7TH AND SANDY GREEN PLAZA. DURING 2022 WE FOCUSED OUR WORK ON DESIGN AND OUTREACH FOR THIS PROJECT, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BREAK GROUND IN 2024. FINALLY, DEPAVE INITIATED AN UPDATE TO OUR ORGANIZATIONS STRATEGIC PLAN: A CONSULTANT WAS HIRED AND ONE BOARD AND STAFF RETREAT WAS COMPLETED TO KICKOFF THIS EFFORT WHICH CONTINUED INTO 2023.