Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies

The Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies is a service and research center located in the College of Urban and Public Affairs at Portland State University. The mission of the Institute is to serve the region and further the urban mission of PSU in the following ways:

• Identifying the most pressing issues facing this metropolitan area and its communities, and developing the data and other information needed to fully communicate their scope and significance;
• Building capacity in the region to address critical metropolitan issues by:
  
  • brokering partnerships among faculty, students, and area communities to foster new understanding of and/or new strategies for addressing those issues; and
  • acting as a catalyst to bring elected officials, civic and business leaders together in a neutral and independent forum to discuss critical metropolitan issues and options for addressing them; and
• Developing new resources to support research and service activities needed to meet those objectives.

By acting effectively on this mission statement, the Institute will enable the:

• University to help advance the economic, environmental, and social goals held by the communities of the region; and
• Communities of this region to act collectively to seek and secure a sustainable future for this metropolitan area.

The Institute is governed by a 23-member board appointed by the president of the university, drawn from throughout the six-county area. The board establishes policy to guide the development of the Institute and its programs, and assists the Institute with securing the resources necessary for fulfilling its mission.

What we offer:

• A Metropolitan Focus - The Institute serves as a unique source of information about the metropolitan area and its issues. Its customers include students, faculty, jurisdictions, community-based organizations, and the media. Our publications include Metroscape magazine, an atlas and mirror of the metropolitan region, the biennial Metropolitan Briefing Book, a guide to trends and issues in the region, and The Catalyst, our quarterly newsletter.
• A Neutral Forum - The Institute, by virtue of its location in the university, has the ability to create a neutral forum for the discussion of issues and/or the exploration of new partnerships. Recent projects and events include facilitating the Damascus Firehouse Study Group on regional growth issues, and presenting the Regional Leaders Seminar Series, an opportunity for civic leaders to deepen their knowledge and understanding of our region's critical issues.
• Community Building - The Institute provides access to information and other resources needed to enable communities to understand the environment for their concerns. Currently, the Community Geography project is working to help a wide range of citizens, from elementary school students to community organizations, use Geographic Information Systems technology to address key community issues.
• Access to the Resources of Higher Education - The Institute provides new access to the resources of higher education, both at Portland State University and other colleges and universities. The Forum on Sustainability and the Economy is an ongoing series of discussions bringing together community members, faculty, and students to critically reflect on the interplay between sustainability and the economy. Videos of these discussions are also available on PSU's streaming media website.