Comparing Sustainability in the Master Plans for US Cities: Portland and Newark

The comprehensive master plan for Portland, Oregon (2015) is predicated on a number of guiding principles that also reflect the goals of sustainable development including: economic prosperity, human health, environmental health, equity and resilience.  The goal for resilience aims to "Reduce risk and improve the ability of individuals, communities, economic systems, and the natural and built environments to withstand, recover from, and adapt to changes from natural hazards, human-made disasters, climate change, and economic shifts" (p. I-7).  In the vision for the master plan for Newark (2009), the three areas of focus are: economy, equity and environment (p. 16).  From the perspective of these urban planning documents, both cities hope to embrace strategies proposed by sustainable development practitioners. 

Figure 1.  Sustainability Illustration from Newark's Sustainability Action Plan