Jacob Sherman – författare

Portland, Oregon. Sustainability might not seem glamourous, but Portland is making a name for itself as one of the most sustainable cities in the world. Whether you’ve heard about the farmers’ markets, the cycle-friendly streets or the ongoing efforts to balance livability and equity, Portland is leading the way in urban sustainability: this book helps us understand how it achieves this.A critical component of Portland’s success is collaboration between different communities and institutions; the Sustainable Solutions series examines higher education’s role in these partnerships. In exploring how best to “let knowledge serve the city”, Portland State University translates its founding motto from mere words to applied research and action.This first volume examines different approaches to collaborative work that PSU has taken, both within the university and with community partners: how have barriers been overcome between different areas of study, between academia and the public, and why is bridging these divides so important? It also introduces the themes of the engaged university, social justice, climate change and sustainable economic development, which shape PSU’s work.Let Knowledge Serve the City is ideal for anyone seeking best practice in connecting students and universities with the needs of local communities. From public interest design and student leadership, to food justice and age-friendly development, authors combine academically rigorous theories of sustainability and community-university partnerships with lessons learned on how to realize ideals of sustainable development.

What is the role of the university? Current systems may stress research output, but Wortham-Galvin, Allen, and Sherman seek to re-establish the importance of teaching and service in the work of the 21st-century university. The Sustainable Solutions series shares Portland State University’s experience of community-engaged teaching and research. With a focus on sustainability, we see that such collaboration is vital to making Portland one of the world’s most sustainable cities.Volume 2, University–Community Partnerships, builds on the themes introduced in Volume 1, Let Knowledge Serve the City, to explore how these partnerships play out in practice. Covering 13 projects, which range from supporting local artisans and researching food access, to sharing Indigenous history and decolonizing perceptions of knowledge, readers receive pragmatic advice on working with community organizations. Authors also offer critical reflection on how theories of engagement have structured PSU’s work and how their findings impact our very understanding of partnership.This reader-friendly text provides an ideal introduction to anyone wishing to learn more about models of effective collaboration and how to put these into practice. Explained through the context of specific projects, the book offers both inspiration and practical guidance to anyone — in local government, academia, or the third sector — looking to set up productive community–university partnerships.