Last week I had the opportunity to view the stunning transformation of Portland’s downtown from a depressed urban core into a vibrant, twenty-four hour City. The Pearl District offered many examples of thoughtful urban development. The streets were lively, clean and very walkable. The buildings were an appealing mix of old and new, with a strong emphasis on sustainable environmental practices. I particularly enjoyed the Brewery Blocks, a renovation of an old Henry Weinhardt Brewery into a mix of offices, restaurants and housing. It combines exciting, new architecture with a respect for Portland’s past.
The City does a wonderful job of encouraging people to leave their cars at home. The streets are comfortable for pedestrians and bicycles. The street car system is not only a convenient and inexpensive way to travel through the downtown, it is also an important catalyst for economic development. In fact, Mayor-elect Sam Adams and Commissioner Randy Leonard identified the streetcar as one of the most important tools in the City’s redevelopment toolbox.
There are many lessons that we can learn from Portland’s success—the importance of an effective public transportation system, the need for collaboration between the business community and government, and the importance of providing housing opportunities for different income levels and family configurations. But perhaps the most important lesson that I took from the trip was how rapidly things can change with effective leadership and concerted community effort.