Students had the opportunity to offer constructive ideas to improve the design. “They get incredible experience in terms of hands-on engagement, learning, research, practical skills, and everything else,” she adds. “And then the community benefits from the outcomes.” Portland State has also had success offering services directly to city residents, including the dental hygiene program, a partnership with Portland Community College, hosted in the Vanport Building.The program operates a clinic providing low-cost dental care to community members, while giving its students a chance to practice skills. “They’ve been there for over a year and a half already,” says Jose Coll, dean of the School of Social Work and interim dean of the College of Education. “It’s really remarkable to see the service that they’re providing and to see the community come into the Vanport Building to get services from the students.” The Downtown Plan helped define Portland State’s role as an urban university by encouraging collaboration and emphasizing service to the city. In the years since, the university has expanded and more deeply integrated into the community around it . FALL 2022 // 25 PORTLAND -STATE UNIVERSITY/PARK BLOCKS GENERAL GOAL Portland State University should be an "urban university." By this phrase we intend to imply far more than a fact of l ocation. We believe that PSU and the c ity should be consciously aware of, take advantage of, and in fac t emphasize their impact on each other . SPECIFIC GOALS A. Encourage int eraction between the unive rsity and the lar ger community. University programs and facilities s hould be used for greater benefit of th e general public. The Downtown community should be more re sponsive to PSU needs. 1. PSU should be totally accessible to the handicapped. It is ideally located near services they need , and i s the only university in the state which comes close to p r oviding adequate access to univers ity faci l ities . 2. Encourage appropriate and desirable retail uses o f State property which can serve both the unive rsity and the general publ i c. Suggested uses are restaur ants, barber shops, _drug stores, boutique and specialty shops. NOTE: This is now , within strict limitations, permissible under a new administrative ruling of the Oregon State Board of High Education. If the rule is interpreted s o as to excl ude such dev elopments, it should be l i beralized . Mini mize congestion in the PSU area c au sed by student autos; deve l op a l t e r native s to pri vate vehicle parking in the area. 1 . Portland Sta te Unive r si ty should be encouraged t o reduce the requi r e d parki ng ratio of one space fo r every three students. We believe the 3 -1 ratio will serve to create rat her t han r educe conge sti on and will hinder the developmen t of alt e rnati ve modes of acces s . The Portl and Development Commis sion should he informed that we fee l that i t i s desirable for the Univer s i ty to mainta i n onl y the minimum amount of parki ng necessary to complement a l terna t ive modes of t ransport ati on.
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