The City of Tualatin and the University of Oregon Sustainable City Year Program (SCYP) celebrated the close of their 2025-26 partnership on Friday, May 29, at a well-attended event with city leaders and staff, local elected officials, University of Oregon students, faculty, and staff, and members of the community.
During the 2025-26 academic year, students and faculty worked with city staff and the Tualatin community to support downtown revitalization and other community priorities. At the event, city staff and UO faculty shared summaries of each project, focusing on key learnings and student recommendations, while visiting with attendees.
Throughout the program year, SCYP matched resources from existing university courses and paired them with high-priority projects identified by the Tualatin community, with a particular focus on supporting downtown revitalization efforts. Downtown-focused student projects included a market study, site analysis and land use planning, an examination of connectivity among different travel modes, floodplain research, stormwater management, a walkability study, and an architecture design studio.
“The students from the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, and Portland State University have gone above and beyond. They took the time to get to know our community, delivering research and recommendations that have already influenced how we think about our downtown," shared Tualatin Mayor Frank Bubenik. "We are grateful for their hard work, and the guidance provided by their professors and Sustainable City Year Program staff.”
Based out of the University of Oregon, SCYP helps communities solve the problems of today and lays the groundwork for a sustainable, livable future—all while helping students prepare for the workforce through applied learning.
SCYP and community partnerships are possible, in part, thanks to support from US Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, as well as former Congressman Peter DeFazio, who secured federal funding for SCYP through Congressionally Directed Spending and the U.S. Department of Education. With additional matching funds from participating cities, these partnerships allow UO students and faculty to study and make recommendations on city-identified projects and issues while leveraging and strengthening city capacity to support downtown revitalization.
"Bringing together local leadership and the University of Oregon's students and faculty is a smart way to help communities in our state tackle real challenges and plan for the future," Senator Ron Wyden said. "As a U of O alum, I'm especially glad federal support helped make my alma mater’s partnership with Tualatin possible. It's already generating ideas that can help strengthen downtown, improve connections, and support the city's long-term vitality."
“UO’s Sustainable City Year Program is a proven model of success, using the drive and expertise of students and faculty to discover solutions that move Oregon communities forward,” Senator Jeff Merkley said. “The entire Tualatin community will benefit from becoming an idea-sharing hub, which will provide students with tangible, real-world learning opportunities while also making this community more sustainable and resilient.”
Sustainable City Year Program