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Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon’s largest city, is located in the northwestern corner of the state along the Willamette River, a few miles from the Columbia River confluence on the Washington border.
Portland is one of few American cities praised for sound urban planning policies in recent decades. Beginning with the establishment of an Urban Growth Boundary in 1979, the city has strictly controlled sprawl development. It has invested heavily in transit, from light rail to the first brand new streetcar system in the country. Parks and open space are also well integrated with the urban landscape. Portland accomplished what might have been politically impossible in other cities because of its smaller, like-minded population, as well as comparatively low land values.
Early History
Portland began as a simple forest clearing along the Willamette River in the 1840’s. Near the base of Mount Hood, the area was surrounded by forests and provided access to the Pacific Ocean. Although it could be considered a “port” along the river, the town got its name from an early landowner, Francis Pettygrove, who was from Portland, Maine [1]. It was known as a “stump town” for years because tree stumps remained in the middle of the main roads. However, its abundant resources — timber, arable land, fisheries — would soon attract settlers. Although it was the largest port north of San Francisco, population swelled after the South Pacific rail line finally provided a direct link to California in the 1870’s. By the early 1900’s, Portland was the largest city in the northwest. Portland expanded further because of its streetcar system, which began with horse-drawn cars but grew into an electric streetcar network that lured people to live in suburbs like Crest, Hawthorne and Irvington.
Portland's Planning History
Portland’s history of sane urban planning was probably a result of its relatively slow and steady population growth. After World War II, the area grew much more slowly than the rest of the West. The center city actually lost population in the 1970’s (even though the suburbs expanded) and the entire state recorded a net population loss in the early 1980’s [2]. However, as in other American cities, the post-war era saw the white middle class move into the suburbs. The city became mainly a place for work and business; even shopping and recreation were relegated to the outer regions [2].
In Portland, these familiar trends sparked an early interest in urban renewal that can be divided into three phases of development [2]. The first phase, in the late 1950’s and 60’s, saw the establishment of an urban renewal agency known as the Portland Development Commission, who undertook several top-down projects that were intended to address inner-city blight. One example is the South Auditorium project, a housing-office-retail development that unfortunately destroyed historic urban neighborhoods and slapped a freeway over residential streets. Sweeping the country during the mid-century era, this is the type of urban renewal that Jane Jacobs sharply criticizes in The Death and Life of Great American Cities : "Under the surface, these accomplishments prove even poorer than their poor pretenses" [8] . The second renewal phase, from the late 60’s to 1980, involved more public participation. A major milestone was the removal of the Harbor Drive Freeway in 1974 to make way for the Waterfront Park. It was the first freeway removal project in the country. Later, with the 1990 passage of the property tax cap “Measure 5”, such projects all but stopped because funding was eliminated. The third phase began in the 1990’s and was much more progressive, with a focus on creating real, mixed-use communities and pedestrian friendly streets. Mayor Vera Katz, elected in 1993, was dedicated to revitalizing the city’s neighborhoods.
Portland Development Commission
The Portland Development Commission was created in 1958 and undertakes projects within targeted Urban Renewal Areas. Recently, the commission has been quite focused on walkable streets – many of their current projects involve “streetscapes”. Find a full list of their current projects here. They are also working on Transit Oriented Development and affordable housing.
Urban Growth Boundary
Oregon state law mandates that each city and metropolitan area have an urban growth boundary that separates rural land from urban land [3]. The boundaries preserve farmland and open space, while protecting downtown businesses and encouraging revitalization within the urban core. This bold measure was adopted in the late 1970’s, with the help of Governor Tom McCall, who convinced the legislature that Oregon’s natural beauty would be destroyed by suburban sprawl. Portland’s urban growth boundary has focused attention within city limits, helping to create an efficient public transit system. Managed by the government agency known as Metro, the boundary has been expanded in small increments and will be expanded in the future.
Transportation: Light Rail
Portland’s light rail line, known as MAX (Metropolitan Area Express), consists of three lines (Blue, Red, Yellow), with a Green Line under construction and an Orange Line planned [4]. The blue line, which is the main line, opened in 1986. The Red Line began service in 2001 connects directly to Portland International Airport. The Yellow Line extended into north Portland in 2004. MAX trains operate on surface streets but are given the right of way and are fully separated from traffic. Because of Portland’s narrow city blocks, most trains carry only one or two cars.
Transportation: Portland Streetcar
Inspired by a small but successful vintage streetcar line downtown, the city founded the nonprofit Portland Streetcar organization in 1995 to oversee new streetcar development [5]. The country’s first brand new streetcar line opened in 2001 with a 4.8 mile loop that ran north from Portland State University. The Portland Streetcar returned transit service to some of the outer urban areas (citation needed) and was “designed to fit the scale and traffic patterns of the neighborhoods through which it travels”. [6] It was extended to 8 miles to incorporate the South Waterfront district. Further extensions are planned.
Farmland
Portland’s smart growth planning has helped to save farmland in the region, and numerous family farms remain within close range of the city. Sauvie Island, a fertile island in the middle of the Willamette River, offers a cornucopia of farmstands and u-pick farms just ten miles from downtown Portland. (The island also draws bicyclists because of its flat, broad trails and wildlife refuges). Visible from the edges of the urban growth boundary, scenic local farms supply Portland’s many popular farmer’s markets.
Parks and Open Space
Portland has a proud legacy of land preservation, creating park space on every scale. The regional planning body known as Metro voted in 2007 to increase greenspace by purchasing 3500 to 4500 acres of scenic land. [7]
ALSO ON THE LIVABLE STREETS NETWORK
- Streetsblog: For Your Weekend Viewing Pleasure: Portland!
- Streetfilms: A Portland Neighborhood Reclaims Its Streets
- Streetfilms: The Defeat of the Mt. Hood Freeway
DESIGN COMPETITIONS
Living Smart: Narrow Lot Housing Design Competition
Aerial Tram Invited Design Competition
REFERENCES
[1] Historic Portland.
[2] Wollner, Craig, John Provo and Julie Schablitsky. A Brief History of Urban Renewal in Portland, OR. PDF file. Portland Development Commission. August 2001.
[3] Urban Growth Boundary. Oregon Metro. 2008.
[4] MAX Light Rail. Wikipedia.
[5] Portland Streetcar on Trainweb.org.
[6] Streetcar History. PortlandStreetcar.org
[7] Natural areas top Metro's to-do list. The Oregonian. March 31, 2007.
[8] Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Random House, New York. 1961.
PICTURE REFERENCES
Pictures are cited in the order they appear above. Please keep citation style consistent.
[1] Portland from Washington Park on Flickr
[2]
