Depave empowers disenfranchised communities to overcome social and environmental injustices and adapt to climate change through urban re-greening.
Depave is seeking new board members!
To learn more about this board service opportunity, please see this description of the position requirements, candidate requirements, key initiatives of the organization and how to apply.
Depave now has early 2025 volunteer opportunities listed with signups available here.
September 20 | 4pm - 7pm
Park(ing) Day - After Party and Open Skate Art Show
Park(ing) Day After Party and Open Skate Art Show, a final celebration of people, plants, and play in the streets at the 7th and Sandy Future Green Plaza site before the temporary plaza ends on September 22. "Park(ing) Day is a global, public, participatory project where people across the world temporarily repurpose curbside parking spaces and convert them into public parks and social spaces to advocate for safer, greener, and more equitable streets for people.”
Previous Events
September 5 | 5pm - 7pm
August 20 | 6:30pm
"Or So It Would Seam: A Giant Puppet Voyage into the Hidden Universe"
Equal parts whimsical fairy tale, outer-space odyssey, and slap-stick clown show, the story follows Space-Way Assistance Driver Captain Z as a mysterious distress signal prompts him to enter a mystical dimension. Between interdimensional subway cars, expanding black-holes, and giants who weave the fabric of space-time, Or So It Would Seam will take audiences out of this galaxy to contemplate the intricate and unexpected ways we are all connected to one another. Filled to the brim with giant puppets, original storytelling, and live music, "Or So" features a cast of 13 performers/musicians - and you, the audience! Hosted by String and Shadow Puppet Theater.
August 18 | 12pm - 5pm
Push Movement Fundraiser
Depave’s BIG BREAK BLOCK PARTY sponsor and collaborator, Push Movement, will be hosting their annual fundraiser event at the site.
Push Movement is an organization that promotes holistic, youth and peer-to-peer based pathways to recovery – built from the culture of skateboarding and open to individuals in all stages of change. We provide movement-based, one-on-one youth support and outreach for historically underserved populations in the Portland Metro area. We currently work with 165 youth participants monthly, with the numbers growing. This program is being offered to assist houseless youth in their recovery journey through the lens of skateboarding.
August 6 | 7:30pm
6:30pm bike ride starts at Nomad Cycles.
7:30pm Bike Loud meeting starts at the 7th and Sandy Future Green Plaza.
BikeLoud General Meeting
Join the Future Sandy Pedalpalooza Bike Ride Sandy Boulevard is one of Portland's historic travel and commercial corridors, and is undergoing a rapid transformation. At one time, Sandy was the most popular automobile cruising destination in Oregon. As a high-crash corridor, Sandy is getting speed cameras and pedestrian crossing improvements. Eventually it will support a Rose Lane to optimize bus travel, and more bike and pedestrian infrastructure are planned. A series of sustainable stormwater interventions have been implemented, utilizing the triangular 'left over' spaces at intersections. Through time the over-built Sandy Boulevard is being reclaimed to improve pedestrian and bike safety, integrate transit and green infrastructure, calm automobile traffic and travel speeds, and improve livability. Are the City’s plans sufficient? Is it happening fast enough? This ride will travel down Sandy Boulevard from NE 47th and make a series of stops to see and learn about various street interventions. The ride will terminate at SE Seventh and Sandy Green Street Plaza, a new initiative led by Depave and Zucker Engineering in partnership with Portland’s Bureau of Transportation, Clean Energy Fund, Bureau of Environmental Services, Metro, Friends of the Green Loop, BikeLoud, other community-based organizations, and nearby business and property owners.
July 27 | 4pm - 10pm
BIG BREAK BLOCK PARTY
Depave is hosting the 3rd annual BIG BREAK BLOCK PARTY on July 27 from 4pm - 10pm at our future 7th and Sandy Green Plaza project. The event includes opportunities for public input and feedback about our project design, interactive art, local vendors, skating of all kinds at our popup skate plaza, live music, and more! Music headlining - Parisalexa!
July 26 | 6pm - 10pm
Film Festival
Hosted by Art Heaux, this event celebrates local filmmakers and BIPOC artists.
Join us for a worldclass skate viewing experience with the Adidas Skateboarding Team with the kick off of their Northwest Tour hosted by Adidas and Tactics at our green skate plaza!
Community Cleanup
Hosted by SOLVE Oregon and the Central Eastside Industrial Council, this community cleanup event will prepare the Green Plaza site for the summer activation series!
July 25 | 10am - 12pm
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT 〰️
NASA DEVELOP PARTNERSHIP
In summer 2023, Depave partnered with NASA DEVELOP to better understand the impact of our work. Overwhelmingly, satellite imagery showed that depaving can significantly reduce urban heat.
Watch the video made by our partners at NASA DEVELOP:
UPCOMING EVENTS
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UPCOMING EVENTS 〰️
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Nov. 2 Planting Event
Join Depave and Our Happy Block for a planting event on Saturday, November 2 from 10am - 1pm at the Horeb Oromo Ethiopian Church! !
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Jan. 20 MLK Jr. Day Tree Planting Event
Join Depave and Friends of Trees for a special tree planting event at Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church!
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Feb. 1 Planting Event at Morning Star Church
Join us for a follow up planting event at Morning Star Church!
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Feb. 15 Planting Event at Morning Star Church
Join us for a follow up planting event at Morning Star Church!
WHAT WE'RE UP TO
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WHAT WE'RE UP TO 〰️
In the news…
Ted x Lacamas Lake: Dreaming and Depave, Presentation by Katherine Rose, Fall 2023.
BBC: The cities stripping out concrete for earth and plants, By Chris Baraniuk, February 23, 2024.
Street Roots: Portland’s decades-old zoning policies stall project at historically Black church By Jeremiah Hayes, October 18, 2023.
The Nation: A Cooler Future Means a World With Less Pavement By Lucy Sherriff, August 31, 2023.
Bike Portland: PBOT, Depave work toward solution for sketchy SE 7th and Washington intersection By Taylor Griggs, April 11, 2023.
The Atlantic: A Plan to Cool Off the Hottest Neighborhoods By Emma Marris, October 26, 2022.
WTTW News: Depave Chicago Joins National Movement to Reclaim Paradise From Parking Lots: ‘It’s Really About a Transformation’, By Patty Wetli, August 24, 2022.
Treehugger: How Communities Can Reimagine Their Landscape in the Climate, By Sami Grover, August 9, 2021.
Cool Solutions Podcast: Pavement removal and urban heat mapping, By Wendy Ring, December 18, 2019.