Portland Equitable Mitigation Banking Study
Portland, OR · 2022
Client: City of Portland, Bureau of Environmental Services
Location: Portland, OR
Year: 2022
CP Role: Lead consultant
Practice Area: Environment + Sustainability
Team: Irene Kim, Project Manager; Sachi Arakawa, Analysis Lead
The Challenge
The City of Portland was exploring natural resource mitigation banking. No City-approved banks existed, and the Bureau of Environmental Services wanted to know whether banking could help repair environmental justice harms, or would add to them, before building a program.
Our Approach
We worked in three phases: an equity analysis of existing mitigation bank locations in the region, community listening sessions, and an evaluation of where future banks could go. We built tools that show who is most affected by environmental planning policies and how to reduce harm to vulnerable and marginalized communities.
Outcome
The work gave the City new ways to measure equity impacts and benefits for mitigation sites and transactions. The City will use these measures to guide future mitigation banking policy and engagement.
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