GreenWorks Co-Founder Appointed Portland Parks Bureau Director

Congratulations to Mike Abbaté for his appointment as the new Director of Portland Parks! After a national search to replace Park’s Director Zari Santner, Commissioner Nick Fish selected Abbaté, calling him “’innovative’ and an able manager whose work examining the parks' assets will be a big plus when the bureau goes out for a parks bond.”

Mike Abbaté co-founded GreenWorks in 1997. Abbaté brought to the firm great expertise in interpretive, outdoor recreation and ecotourism facilities. He was instrumental in expanding the firm’s services in planning and design for interpretive facilities; urban park design; and planning and design for regional, state and national parks. Prior to GreenWorks, Mike worked for the U.S. Forest Service and in the private sector for many years. Abbaté left GreenWorks in 2007 to become the Planning Director for the City of Gresham.

For more information on Mike’s new appointment visit:

http://blog.oregonlive.com/portlandcityhall/2011/10/portland_parks_bureau_hires_in.html

Lewis and Clark Park and Festival Grounds Reconnects the Dalles

The Dalles Riverfront Connections continues to push forward with an article published in this week’s Daily Journal of Commerce, discussing the park’s urban connection between the Downtown Business District and the historic Columbia Riverfront.  GreenWorks worked closely with KPFF and Nathan Good Architects on this project, developing a park design that connects the two distinct areas between I-84 while enhancing community identity and encouraging economic development.  For more on the featured Lewis and Clark Park and Festival Grounds visit: http://djcoregon.com/news/2011/10/11/park-to-connect-the-dalles-downtown-to-riverfront/

The project went out to bid last month and construction is expected to start in November.

GreenWorks Awarded 2011 ASLA Oregon Merit Award

ASLA Oregon’s 2011 Design Awards were held this month, celebrating landscape design in our region.  GreenWorks took home the Merit Award in the Research & Communication Category for our work on the Clean Water Services Low Impact Development Approaches Handbook.

The Clean Water Services Low Impact Development Approaches Handbook promotes sustainable stormwater management and site design practices that protect precious natural resources. It is a practical tool for those who make or influence development decisions in the urban portions of the Tualatin River Basin, Washington County, Oregon. The handbook communicates using colorful graphics, photos and tables to present stormwater management measures that are aesthetically appealing and can be readily incorporated into site landscaping and architecture.

Congrats to GreenWorks and all the winners at this year’s ASLA Awards!

To view all of the Oregon ASLA Awards visit:  http://www.aslaoregon.org/blog/2011/10/11/asla-oregon-2011-design-awards-winners-announced

SE Clay Street Green Street Open House

Join GreenWorks and the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services at Indent Studios for an Open House discussing SE Clay Street Green Street this Thursday the 13^th from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. The Open House will present the latest information on the project and answer questions about the community impact of the new green street. GreenWorks worked with the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services on the streetscape design for 12 block section ofSE Clay Street in the Central Eastside Industrial District (CEID). The new green street will provide a pedestrian friendly corridor from Ladd’s Addition to the Eastbank Esplanade.

We hope to see you there!

For more information visit:

http://www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cfm?c=47012&a=367456

GreenWorks Competes in Bike to Work Challenge

The results are in! GreenWorks participated in this year’s Bike Commute Challenge, totaling 1239 miles during the month of September. The Bike Commute Challenge takes place every September in Portland – putting workplace against workplace to see who can commute the most by bicycle. GreenWorks finished this year with 68% ridership.

GreenWorks also held its annual internal Bike Commute Challenge with “Most Days Biked” awarded to Azad Sadjadi (19), “Most Trips” to Andrea Cameron (100%), and “Most Miles Biked” to Alex Perove (418 miles). Congrats to GreenWorks for your miles put in and hard work in this year’s challenge!

Ben Johnson Joins GreenWorks

GreenWorks is proud to announce the addition of Ben Johnson to the firm.  

Johnson recently joined GreenWorks as a landscape architect with 12 years of experience primarily in waterfront parks, regional trails and greenways, community parks, public plazas, streetscapes, and sustainable higher education projects. Johnson’s professional experience has been in the Pacific Northwest and he has gained a reputation for strong technical skills and successful collaboration with clients and consultants while successfully managing multi-million dollar public projects. His experience and skills have allowed him to contribute and lead projects from master plan through implementation.  A recent signature project, which Ben is proud of, is the Nancy Russell Overlook along the Cape Horn trail on the Washington side of the Gorge. This spectacular viewpoint was constructed in honor of Nancy Russell.  While at Walker Macy, Ben worked with the Friends of the Columbia River Gorge, Forest Service, and Cape Horn Trail Conservancy to develop the vision for the overlook and then managed the project from concept design through construction. Johnson received a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Florida.