This Sunday at 1pm, I was in a very unusual place: the Hilton’s Grand Ballroom, surrounded by 400 aspiring luxury condo owners and a crew of classy auction workers. Faced with a flopping real estate market, the John Ross condo tower in South Waterfront took the plunge and auctioned off for cut rates the remaining 26 percent of its units that have not sold in five years. South Waterfront is supposed to be Portland’s new dense, green neighborhood, but the auction reminds us of the pitfalls involved in constructing dense neighborhoods where none existed before.
If Portland’s going to accommodate the 1.1 million people projected to move here by 2050 (without creating massive sprawl), we’re going to have to figure out how to do density right. For some perspective on how density is possible, check out this crazy infographic from How We Drive (via BikePortland).
How did the auction go?
Great infographic. Of course if we were all neighbors we would all need to get along… I doubt the 1.1 million will materialize by 2050. Population growth is slowing and there are not going to be that many jobs here in the foreseeable future.
Reymont,
It was interesting—a far cry from the desperate auctions I’ve witnessed on the steps of the courthouse. I’m working on a feature about South Waterfront, so keep your eyes peeled for more about the auction in the paper soon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand_on_Zanz…
Population growth is slowing compared to what era? The U.S. or the World?
Some people (Me) Hate crowded places and live in places like Oregon specifically because of the fact that one can drive from almost any point in the city and be in the country in 10 minutes.
Some people (Me) think places like Brooklyn are hard, cold, disgusting places BECAUSE so many people are smashed together.
Some people (Me) don’t like other people very much, and prefer my space.
These little suggestions make environmentalists sound crazy, please guys, just stop. Try making some helpful observations instead.