Depave empowers disenfranchised communities to overcome social and environmental injustices and adapt to climate change through urban re-greening.
* String and Shadow Giant Puppet Show in Benefit of Depave will be held at River Street Studios on September 12 at 7pm!
* String and Shadow Giant Puppet Show in Benefit of Depave will be held at River Street Studios on September 12 at 7pm!
Depave’s pop up plaza is back!
Depave is activating and demonstrating our ‘future green plaza’ at SE 7th Ave and Sandy Blvd during the summer of 2025 through a variety of built and programmatic activities from August 9 to September 19. This year, the project team will be working with local artists and designers to install a "living" stage structure with live plants providing a sound barrier and green backdrop for performers on the stage.
During the month and a half long closure, the street will be closed mirroring the footprint of the future plaza. Check out our plans for the summer!
Have you seen the plaza and have feedback about the design and layout? Take a quick moment to give us feedback in this survey:
Join our community! Sign up to volunteer.
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:
WHAT WE'RE UP TO
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WHAT WE'RE UP TO 〰️
In the news…
OPB Think Out Loud: Study says Portland is a national leader in green stormwater infrastructure feat. Depave’s Ted Labbe, August 27, 2025
KGW8: Portland nonprofit kicks off summer events with block party, August 9, 2025
KGW8: Nonprofit Depave, City of Portland project turns church parking lot into greenspace, June 22, 2024
BBC: The cities stripping out concrete for earth and plants, By Chris Baraniuk, February 23, 2024.
Ted x Lacamas Lake: Dreaming and Depave, Presentation by Katherine Rose, Fall 2023.
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.