Sell your car, get a bike.

I could see this fly on a street near the MAX or other light rail. Division MAYBE. Portland is having trouble selling anything requiring a commitment though lately.

The next step will just be smallish 100-200 sq ft cubes and shared communal areas (Something I've wanted for a while, but then I went and had kids.)

Who cares about cars. I just bought a beautiful two bedroom five blocks from here and paid 190/sq ft. You would have to be drooling stupid to compare the price per square foot with "normal" houses in the neighborhood and pull the trigger on one of these. It's a great idea, saving space, but this developer is counting on the buyer not owning a calculator. These should go for about half as much.

Sarah, you really need to start understanding what Architects do. We do not "build" things as you claim in your sentence "Of course, there are local architects building smart, dense projects in Portland, too, but getting giant developers to recognize the value of building small could create a lot more options."

Clients hire us to design things. We don't get pick what we are designing. If a client wants to build a condo, they tell us what they want in it, and we design something to meet their specifications. Of course we make suggestions, but if it doesn't meet the budget or the bottom line, it's out.

Seriously Mercury, could you please have someone write the "Build Out" as you've tagged it that knows what the #(@#) they are talking about!?

The idea that one "can't" live car-free in Portland is absurd. I did it for ten years. I live in another city now, and while it has its good points, the thing I hate most is HAVING to drive everywhere, due to the lousy transit system.

I am seriously considering retiring in Portland, due to the expense of owning a car (I just spent $3900 on repairs, in addition to gas and insurance, and it's a significant financial burden, even though I got my current car "free" from a relative.)

However, I do agree that the houses seem seriously overpriced.

Where I live in Hong Kong, most people don't even dream of buying a car. They have cheap public transportation going everywhere, right outside their apartment, with no additional maintenance costs or other worries.
Cars are the illusion of freedom without the actuality. Start agitating for good public transportation instead, and hop on a bike in the meantime.

So i see some concern about resale value, convenience, condo fees, cost per sf. all important to look at it. most important is to look at whether you would want to adjust your lifestyle to make this work. this really explodes the american dream, but consider joining a car coop.