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Portland State University architecture students this spring will build a 鈥減arklet鈥� on two parking spaces near campus following a to finance the project.

The campaign led by the School of Architecture, PSU‘s Institute for Sustainable Solutions and the South of Market EcoDistrict Steering Committee exceeded its $15,350 goal at the end of last month by raising $15,640. The donations will cover the costs of building materials, maintenance and city fees for lost revenue from the former parking spots where the small park will be built near the intersection of Southwest Fourth Avenue and College Street.

The funding will help realize a project designed by students last fall in a class taught by PSU assistant architecture professor B.D. Wortham-Galvin. In collaboration with residents and businesses in the South of Market neighborhood surrounding PSU, the students chose the park location and gained city approval last summer through the Portland Bureau of Transportation‘s Street Seats program to occupy parking spaces on Fourth Avenue in front of a block of food carts.

In the spring, Wortham-Galvin plans to teach a course to finalize the design, construct most of the components on the PSU campus and later assemble the park on Fourth Avenue over a weekend. It should be complete by June, she said.

鈥淗opefully students can see that not everything is abstract book learning,鈥� Wortham-Galvin said. 鈥淚 also think it’s great that a whole new crop of students will be able to help build it.鈥�

Designing the parklet last year in Wortham-Galvin’s class was such a meaningful experience for PSU alumnus Michael Coon that since graduating from the architecture school and starting to work for Portland-based GBD Architects he’s stayed involved in the project. Coon volunteered his time over last summer to complete the construction documents. He also led efforts to get the project through the city permitting process. When PSU students start constructing the park this spring, he will help oversee the work as the project manager.

From the start, Coon said he was attracted to the concept of creating a new pocket of public space in the neighborhood.

鈥淚t’s become this really great community project,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t’s just a really interesting project as a student. Having it actually be tangible is really great.鈥�

Community involvement in the project was coordinated through the Institute for Sustainable Solutions’ Sustainable Neighborhoods Initiative, which connects PSU students and faculty with neighborhood organizations to collaborate on sustainable projects.

鈥淲e want to be part of the broader downtown and making that more sustainable,鈥� said Christina Williams, the institute’s communications director. 鈥淧SU is a major part of the eco-district, but we’re trying to work with our neighbors.鈥�

ISS facilitated a partnership between Wortham-Galvin’s architecture class and the SoMa EcoDistrict Steering Committee, a group that includes PSU and 13 other major property owners in the southern portion of downtown Portland who have committed to implementing projects that help create a more sustainable neighborhood. Building a parklet fit perfectly into one of the group’s goals of place-making or creating more public space in the neighborhood, said Erin Flynn, co-chairwoman of the steering committee.

鈥淔ourth Avenue is a very active place,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou will see gobs and gobs of people at the food carts, but they don’t have anywhere to sit, so we thought it would be cool to create a parklet.鈥�

The planned parklet will include high tables and stools, low benches with tables and a U-shaped bench, Coon said. The idea was to provide a variety of seating to foster the social activity of students, people who work in the area and others visiting the food carts in groups, he said.

To fit the theme of creating a more sustainable neighborhood, the park will also have stormwater planters with native plants and be constructed using recycled materials, such as reclaimed lumber and used rubber escalator handrails, Coon said.

He said he’s learned a lot through the process of designing the parklet, including how to stick to a tight budget. He is looking forward to seeing how the completed project enhances the food cart block.

鈥淚t would have been great to have when I was (a student),鈥� Coon said. 鈥淚t’s great to know as a new designer that I’m already giving back to the community.鈥�