Portland State Magazine Fall 2021

20 // PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE WRITTEN BY CLIFF COLLINS ILLUSTRATIONS BY HYESU LEE How PSU is leading Portland’s comeback from COVID-19 If Portland State University volunteers have anything to say about it, Portland will soon return to being the city that works. Since the COVID-19 crisis began in March 2020, PSU faculty, students and alumni have been working to tackle the city’s biggest issues, including trash, the housing and homelessness crisis, community safety and struggling businesses. When the pandemic struck, lockdowns and safety restrictions emptied the usually bustling downtown. According to a study by the Portland Business Alliance, for every five people walking downtown in Decem- ber 2019, there was only one in December 2020—an 82% drop. The question quickly became how to get them back.