Green in Portland

THE URBANITES

A pair of entrepreneurs carves out a family-friendly niche in the heart of the city

Five times an hour, the Portland Streetcar stops right outside Justin Yuen's loft building, a converted 1910 warehouse listed on the National Register of Historic Places. That access was a major reason that he and his wife, Katrina Gonzalez Yuen, decided to make a home for themselves and their 2-year-old daughter, Malina, amid the trendy restaurants and high-rise condos of the Pearl District. "We'd been living in Amsterdam when Justin worked for Nike, and we wanted to have that same kind of lifestyle here," Katrina says.

A former marshland along the Willamette River that was converted into railroad yards and warehouses at the turn of the 20th century, the Pearl became the focus of urban-planning efforts to create a mixed-use neighborhood in the 1980s. In partnership with property developers, the city drew up goals that ranged from the construction of the streetcar line to the preservation of the cobblestone streets that help give the area its character.

Now the Pearl is a natural incubator for start-up companies like the one founded by Justin, whose office is eight blocks from home. Once part of Nike's corporate responsibility team, Justin launched a software firm called FMYI, which provides online tools (from shared databases to discussion boards) that make it easier and greener for groups of people to collaborate. "Our ultimate goal is a paperless workplace," he says. Nike is among FMYI's clients, and so are Target and Sony. Katrina runs her own homegrown business, an online boutique called MNL Style featuring artisan-designed housewares and accessories from her native Philippines. Many of her products are crafted out of natural or recycled materials, such as juice boxes woven into brightly colored grocery bags.

Even in the city's urban core, a strong sense of family life prevails. Malina waves at her favorite streetcar drivers and romps through the grasses at Tanner Springs Park (an artistic homage to the area's original wetlands). Katrina keeps up to date with daily reports on the neighborhood blog. "The Pearl is a great example of developers working with the city to create a community from the ground up in less than 10 years," says Justin, who cochairs Portland's Sustainable Development Commission (whose recent report helped the city secure more than $1 million in funding for green businesses). "It has to do with the values people grow up with around here ― collaboration, the environment. The culture of Portland is about doing a lot of little things well."

JUSTIN AND KATRINA'S TIPS

Go green at work Bring sustainability into the office by discussing potential improvements with coworkers. One suggestion from Justin: "Reduce paper and travel by collaborating online."

Limit impulse buys "Our biggest challenge comes in not buying Malina things she doesn't need," says Katrina. "We're trying to be a little less emotional about our purchases. We've also started doing toy swaps with a neighbor."

Educate the next generation "The best thing parents can do is to involve kids with decisions they make," Justin says. "Discussing choices as they grow older will have the most impact on sustainability."