The celebrated Urban Center has been called the new front door to Portland State University — a gateway between the university and downtown Portland. The award-winning Center was completed in 2000 and brings together for the first time all the programs and activities of the College of Urban and Public Affairs under one roof.

In addition to housing the College of Urban and Public Affairs, the 137,000-square-foot Urban Center is home to retail space (including the Portland State Bookstore), the new downtown trolley, and an information center for PSU. It also houses an Internet2 distance-learning wing that includes five multipurpose, fully-wired classrooms designed for producing, sending, and receiving instructional programs to and from remote areas around the state, the nation, and the world.

The new building incorporates the latest in construction and operating technology. Designed by the Portland-based firm Thomas Hacker and Associates, it is truly a significant addition to downtown and a great place for teaching and learning.