Publications & Resources

Dive into some of our thought leadership.

Considering the Triple bottom line

We’ve produced a number of materials on this topic including resources for practitioners and thought pieces to advance the field. Our article in Economic Development Quarterly introduces the concept of Triple Bottom Line (Sustainable) Economic Development and implications for the field. Our article in Economic Development Journal provides a practitioner perspective with examples. This user-friendly Casebook illustrates how triple bottom line economic development has been applied in practice, while this Practioner’s Guide provides insight on environmental, social, and economic factors to consider for development investment. If you are looking for detailed information on calculating the triple bottom line, you might want to check out the User’s Guide and video created for the TBL Tool commissioned by the US Economic Development Administration.

Multi-stakeholder collaboration

Collaboration across organizations, sectors and disciplines is essential for achieving impact on the important issues facing our communities. Not only do we design and facilitate productive collaborations, our research helps to advance thinking and practice on this topic. For example, this article in Community Development Journal considers how large group convenings can successfully contribute to community visioning and planning, and this piece goes deep into multi-stakeholder collaboration in support of sustainability and social change.

considering the Social bottom line

In the development community, sustainability efforts often focus on environmental dimensions of the triple bottom line but neglect the social dimension. Responding to that gap, we developed materials to help advance thinking and practice regarding the social bottom line of triple bottom line development. While progress has been made since these materials were produced, the content and historical perspective remain of value. The Social Bottom Line Briefing Paper and Draft Framework introduce the concept and the Casebook provides examples of projects that address aspects of the social bottom line.

Clean Industry Assessment & Roadmap

The Clean Industry Assessment & Roadmap Report is the culmination of a research and engagement process to determine how Portland industries can transition to clean, decarbonized, circular, and inclusive practices. As project lead, Janet assembled and managed an international consultant team and advisory group, designed the research and engagement approach, and contributed significantly to the report.