Forget city hall. The real action this week is happening across the
river, at the Oregon Convention Center.
There, all day on Friday, June 6, at the “Portland Plan Leadership
Summit,” city officials will soak up a program that’s so
quintessentially Portland, it’s almost laughable: “Keynote
speaker and First Vice President of the Danish Parliament Svend Auken
will kick off the day with an inspirational rendering of how a
community can achieve its vision for sustainable development over the
long term.” (If the guy from the Netherlands who’s going to talk about
“vision” and “sustainability” rides in on a tall bike while
sipping a Stumptown macchiato, all the better.)
All kidding aside, the Portland Plan is pretty damn exciting.
Seriously, here’s how the city describes the ambitious project’s goals:
“To guide the physical, economic, social, cultural, and environmental
development of Portland over the next 30 years.” It’s something
Mayor-elect Sam Adams brought up every chance he could on the campaign
trail, and it’s something that—unlike visionPDX—will have a
tangible impact on the city.
To put it more simply, if you were lured to Portland by its
relative affordability and cool amenities like the bike network,
then you should pay attention to this project. It could plot a future
for Portland that builds on what’s already great, or adds new things we
haven’t even thought of yet. But you’ve got to speak up and let the
city know what’s important to you.
I’ve got my own list of things I’d like to see happen in Portland,
like increased density in neighborhood commercial centers, which leads
to vibrant street life (and night life) in pockets across the city. A
bigger, bolder downtown skyline is something I dream about. East
of the river, Portland could use some better north-south connections
for those of us on bikes and busses. Increasing—or at the very
least, maintaining—affordable housing options is key to making
sure we all get to enjoy what Portland has to offer.
Also on Friday, City Commissioner Randy Leonard’s duct tape
ban really goes into effect. In anticipation of the Rose Festival
Parade, people can save a spot on the sidewalk—if they actually
save it with their own behind, up to 24 hours in advance. Since
Tuesday, the city’s “Parade Marking Removal Street Team” has
been patrolling the parade route, educating people about the new
rules.
As he did after passing a spray paint regulation aimed at curbing
graffiti, Leonard plans to check up on this new rule.
“I’m going Friday night to walk the parade route with Jeff Curtis,
the executive director of the Rose Festival,” Leonard said on Tuesday,
June 3. He’d just returned from a press conference near the Burgerville
on NE MLK and Multnomah: “We noted during the press event that there
was no duct tape anywhere. Normally on that route, it would be spray
paint, chalk, duct tape, but there was nothing. The word’s getting
out.” (P.S. The Mercury will be camping out on Friday night too,
and Leonard plans to join us for s’mores. See the New Column for
details.)