AfroFuturism Oasis
A project by AfroVillage PDX, integrating art, culture, technology, and sustainability to create a healing, community-driven space. This initiative aims to empower Black and Brown communities through climate resilience, digital inclusion, and cultural restoration.
How did the AfroFuturism Oasis come to be
In January 2020, TriMet, the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and PSU’s Center for Public Interest Design launched the MAX Reuse Design Challenge - a design competition that invited designers to explore visions for the repurposing of retiring MAX cars to help address Portland’s critical issues including homelessness, climate change, housing insecurity, and racial inequity, while preventing these cars from ending up as waste or scrap. The winning AfroVillage’s design, which secured the People’s Choice Award, envisioned converting three retiring MAX trains to create an “AfroFuturism Oasis” – sanctuary space that integrate nature, clean energy, and Afro-design to create a healing hub for Black and Brown communities to rest, collaborate, innovate, and access pathways to economic empowerment.
Funding & Support
Our work has been powered by community love and foundational support.
We’ve been honored to receive grants and funding from:
Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF)
Nature in Neighborhoods (NiN grant from Metro
Local businesses and community donors
In-kind partnerships
We continue to seek funding for:
The next phase of train car renovation
Solar energy installation and digital access
Art installations and community workshops led by local creatives
Long-term site development to anchor the Oasis as a model for equitable urban reuse
