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A Portland Development Commission-sponsored program geared to leverage the city’s green reputation and help local firms grow their global market presence has produced its first two agreements.

In one, ZGF Architects, Glumac and Murase Associates have signed on with Japanese development firm Mitsui Fudosan to provide planning and design services for a mixed-use project similar to the Pearl District north of Tokyo. It came about via We Build Green Cities (WBGC), a public-private initiative that was launched in 2011.

Through WBGC, officials identify national and international markets where green-friendly products and services can be sold. Firms that specialize in green building, planning and design, energy efficiency and renewable energy pay from $750 to $7,500 annually (on a sliding scale) to participate in the program.

The partnership has the potential to become significant over the next five to 10 years, said Kirk Davis, regional director for Glumac, which will provide engineering services for the Mitsui Fudosan project.

“They’re very, very good at technology in Japan,” he said. “In some respects they are better than we are. On the other hand, we are a very sustainable city and the Japanese are interested in how that can be exported.”

Approximately 30 firms are participating in WBGC, according to program manager Amy Nagy, the PDC’s business development coordinator for green industries.

“(WBGC) … was a branding platform initially that morphed into a set of services,” she said. “We build partnerships and ultimately identify projects.”

WBGC has pursued opportunities in countries including Japan, China, Mexico, Colombia and Brazil, Nagy said.

“These are areas that have great opportunities,” she said. “We’re also considering the size of the market, the ease of doing business, and looking at places where we already have connections or interest.”

In a second agreement, the PDC signed a memorandum of understanding with Smart City Planning Inc., a consortium of 27 international firms. That deal could lead to more opportunities, including earthquake reconstruction projects and smart city planning in anticipation of the 2020 Summer Olympics, according to the PDC.

Several revered Japanese firms – including Sharp, Toshiba and Hitachi – were part of the agreement, which could be the “tip of the iceberg” of Portland’s ability to export sustainability to the rest of the world, Nagy said.

Many of the hundreds of delegations that come to Portland from various countries and cities every year are examining integration of light rail, streetcar and biking systems, Nagy said. They are interested in South Waterfront District development, the city’s culture and how small startups are working in the city, particularly in the Central Eastside, she said.

“When we host those delegations, we try and identify who in those groups are looking to bring a project and where our team’s services would be useful,” she said.

The Pearl District and other local projects garnered interest from Mitsui Fudosan, a Japanese developer that wanted to tap the three Portland firms’ expertise in urban planning, citizen engagement and green city development.

The ability to export Portland sustainability practices has two components, said Jan Willemse, managing partner for ZGF’s Portland office. One is the story – the creation of the Pearl District and its success, he said; another is the notion of resource stewardship and eco-districts – vibrant urban environments balanced around resources.

ZGF is building an eco-district in southwest Washington, D.C., near the National Mall. The aim is to create livable environments on a large scale, Willemse said.

At Kashiwa-no-ha, near Tokyo, the concept will be applied to a district that already includes a university, a train station and some industry elements.

“But there is not a lot of residential or public space that has the potential for human usage in a compelling way,” Willemse said. “This is kind of unique in that it’s taking this combined urban vibrancy and eco-management to another level. This is great for us to do it in a place that has an appetite for it.”

More information about We Build Green Cities is available at .