Depave

Mission

Depave empowers disenfranchised communities to overcome social and environmental injustices and adapt to climate change through urban re-greening. Depave transforms over-paved places, creates resilient community greenspaces, promotes workforce development and education, and advocates for policy change to undo manifestations of systemic racism.

Bottom Line for Portland

Depave envisions an empowered society living within sustainable cities, built on a foundation of justice, equity, diversity, practicing inclusion and actively undoing systemic discrimination and social and environmental injustice of every kind. Depave imagines a sustainable city as a place where people and wildlife coexist and prosper amidst clean air, clean water, robust urban forests, thriving local agriculture, and healthy communities.

Depave empowers communities to take ‘hopeful action’ to create pocket greenspaces. We identify, design, permit and build greenspaces that jumpstart nearby nature and buffer disenfranchised communities from extreme heat, flooding, and other climate change impacts. Since 2007, we have transformed over 8.7 acres (377,000 square feet) of lifeless pavement at more than 80 sites including schools, churches, affordable housing developments, and other community hubs. Our vibrant community greenspaces offer cooling shade trees, native plants, kids’ play areas, rain gardens, art, and connection to nature and one another.

Quote

“I love courageous nonprofits and I think Depave is one of them.” Nancy Bond, Portland Public Schools, retired

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Depave actively prioritizes projects that benefit people of color and low-income communities. These historically disenfranchised communities are disproportionately impacted by the adverse social and environmental effects of pavement. Depave uses a collaborative and culturally-sensitive approach, believing that cultivating diversity contributes to the strength and resilience of communities.

Incentives

Everyone who donates to the Depave campaign will receive a 15% discount code from Tactics, and will be entered to win one of three raffle packages:

1. Tactics and evo Snow Package

-$200 Gift Card to evo

-2 ski/snowboard rentals from evo

-Snowboard gear from Tactics

2. Tactics Skate Package

-Skate deck

-Wheels

-Apparel

3. Patagonia Duffel Bag

4. Trapper Creek Cabin Getaway 

Donors of $50 or more to Depave will be entered to a raffle to win a 3-night stay at a remote off-the-grid cabin in the upper Wind River valley, near Carson, Washington. The cabin sits on the banks of Trapper Creek, just footsteps away from the Trapper Creek Wilderness - nestled amongst old-growth forest in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. It is quiet, quiet, quiet. And a great place for nature-lovers to unwind and slow down.

Partner(s)

Thank you Tactics and Patagonia for your partnership with Depave and for connecting our Give!Guide supporters with rad ski/snow/skate gear! And a big shout out to our business partners: Dowl and Zucker Engineering and Design.

Our nonprofit partners for GiveGuide! 2024 are: Ground Score Association, Friends of Noise, The Blueprint Foundation, and p:ear. Depave is proud to be working actively with Ground Score Association and Friends of Noise to steward our pocket greenspaces and engage the community with envisioning the future 7th and Sandy Green Plaza project. We are working with The Blueprint Foundation on east Multnomah County urban greening and green workforce development. And we have a really exciting project brewing with p:ear!