29th Annual Symposium: Livable Cities

The 2026 Environment Across Boundaries Symposium will be a week of discussions, presentations, and activities open to the Lewis & Clark community and the public from September 28 to October 2, 2026.

When you think of “environmental studies” you might imagine forests, coral reefs, rivers or agricultural land. We invite you to explore a different kind of environment in the Albina neighborhoods in Northeast Portland. Albina is a historically black neighborhood with a rich yet troubled history. From early state policies of exclusion to the United States’ largest public housing project, from urban renewal to gentrification, Black residents of Portland have continuously had to develop their communities to create a livable city to call home.

But what makes a city livable? There are as many different ideas as there are city dwellers. We aim to draw a wide range of perspectives and stories to explore questions such as, “How does a community, that is filled with diverse and often opposing viewpoints, approach their current problems?” “Where does power lie in the design of a landscape?” and “What is justice?”

Reach out to envxsymposium@lclark.edu if you would like to get involved.

Check back for specific schedule and speakers closer to the date. We look forward to seeing you there! 

The student co-chairs for the 29th annual ENVX Symposium are Haley Middendorf ’27, David Pincus ’27, and Randall Wise ’28.