Second question, what does Portland being a “living laboratory of sustainability” have to do with creating jobs?
Almost every city in the world is now making a claim to be a hub of the sustainable economy. But few cities have the number of green workers and businesses with actual hands on skills of designing, building and manufacturing green goods and services. Two examples help answer this question. One underway. One with potential. In 2001, Portland became the first city in America to reintroduce streetcars into the city transit network. Those streetcars supported Portland’s deserved reputation for planning and public transit. They attracted visitors from across the nation who wanted to see how we did it. And now, a Portland-area business is manufacturing street cars, for the first time in America in decades. And I want to take a moment to specially acknowledge the work of Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, Congressmen Earl Blumenauer and Peter DeFazio for working to secure a federal investment in the expansion of the Portland streetcar grid. Thanks to their belief in our vision for a more su
