Hi, I’m Albert Kaufman, an activist, networker, musician, Green Democrat, and resident of Portland, Oregon. I offer email newsletters about my marketing business; urban farming; a monthly personal newsletter – The Eleven and other efforts. Sign up to learn more.
I’ve worked on issues and projects in the Pacific Northwest for the past 23 years – While living in Seattle from 1995-2002 I:
- organized tree-planting projects which led to thousands of trees being planted
- helped to lead a campaign with CCEJ to shut down a neighborhood medical waste incinerator (we won!)
- led outreach for a neighborhood planning effort for the Beacon Hill neighborhood. Jefferson Park is in my heart.
- created a neighborhood website (webmaster for many years) which brought neighbors together in a new way
- led efforts to improve the lives of residents through airplane route changes and other issues surrounding livability issues in SE Seattle.
Since moving to Portland in 2002 I have continued my work in the community:
- coordinated the publicity for many events such as City Repair’s Village Building Convergence.
- started Farm My Yard
- started and led a community garden called The Birthday Garden
- served as neighborhood association president for the Beaumont-Wilshire neighborhood
- organized many tree plantings with Friends of Trees
- blogged for BlueOregon, an Oregon left-wing blog
- participate in issues such as the Colwood Golf course rezoning issue, Lone Fir cemetery addition, and on recycling and local food issues
- I am also a frequent contributor to local and regional newspapers and blogs
- Since 2019: I’ve been part of a group working to ban leaf-blowers.
- On-going: I’ve become a huge fan of Nextdoor.com and have written 2 articles about my thinking about it. I think it’s the best tool for neighborhood organizing that’s ever existed.
For 6 years I lived abroad (Germany, Brazil, Israel, Costa Rica) which has shaped my understanding of the world and provided me with a unique perspective on how we might improve our living spaces. I am also committed to thinking and writing about population growth as I believe it is at the core of our challenges with climate change, pollution, species loss, traffic congestion, suburban sprawl, and decreasing resources such as water. Here’s a short video on the subject which I find a useful primer.
Currently, I’m running my ideation company and combining forces with others to work on some of the ideas I am interested in spreading and to provide sustainable solutions to the challenges that face our world. Whether it’s through depaving or creating an orchard in every neighborhood, my hope is that we’ll continue to get better at reducing, reusing, and recycling to the point where we no longer rely on sources of energy beyond our local area.
I look forward to connecting with others who share some of my dreams and who would like to combine forces to build a team to move these and other ideas forward. Join me!
If you’re looking to hire me for a project, please check out how I roll 🙂
Sunset over the hills of the Black Rock Desert – August 2008
Me!
