Portland 2030: a vision for the future - City of Portland, Oregon

Portland 2030:a vision for the futurefebruaryby the people of Portland, Oregon2008

table of contentsletter from the mayor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1letter from the visionpdx chairs . . . . . . . . 2why do we vision? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3portland’s visionary history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3portland future focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5why do we vision?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6goals of visioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6origins of visionPDX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7how to read this document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7portland’s vision for 2030 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8portland’s values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9additional values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12five elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13built portland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13economic portland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16environmental portland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19learning portland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22expect change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28population growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28what does a million mean? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31growing diversity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32changing economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33peak oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35global warming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36community challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38visionPDX – how did we get here? . . . . . . . . 41visionPDX committee structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41visionPDX process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42visionPDX timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48next step: the portland plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55social portland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Photos on the cover: Fremont Bridge and Willamette River kayaks by Mike Houck; young girl by Thomas DeCuir.visionPDXplvision@ci.portland.or.uswww.visionPDX.com503-823-9585

letter from the mayorDear Portlanders,Two years ago, I launched visionPDX, a City-supported, community-led initiative to create a vision for Portland forthe next 20 years and beyond. Since then, thousands of you have shared your hopes and dreams for our city’sfuture. From community centers and places of worship to small gatherings in homes, we have had deep and richdiscussions on the values we share, the challenges we face and the decisions our community must make together.When I commissioned this project, I wanted to ensure that all Portlanders had an opportunity to participate in thisimportant discussion – particularly those who had not previously been asked to sit at the public policy table.Since then, I have watched as City Hall filled with hundreds of immigrants and refugees from all over the worldwho took their voices into Council Chambers to be heard. Our small business community produced a report withhundreds of ideas to encourage local economic development. Students involved in one of our visionPDX grantshelped organize and pass a Bill of Rights for young people. Now there are youth conducting research on how theycan be better engaged and served in our city.This vision describes what we want our city to be in the future, the legacy we want to leave our children andgrandchildren, and what responsibilities each of us has in solving community problems and creating an intentionalfuture.Now, I want to see the vision become a reality. After adoption, we will launch initial projects to take action onthe vision as quickly as possible. At the same time we will be building a Vision into Action Coalition to organizecommunity, government, business and other partners willing to work collaboratively on ideas expressed in ourvision.A vision is simply a vision. It takes people to breathe life and energy into it. Let us work together to take ourcommunity’s vision into the next phase – action.Tom PotterMayor, City of PortlandMayor Tom Potter shakes hands withvisionPDX Co-Chair Marvin Kaiser at anevent for visionPDX grant recipients.Photo by Thomas Le Ngo1

letter from the visionPDX chairsDear Fellow Portlanders,Welcome. We are pleased that thousands ofyou have taken up the invitation to participatewith us in creating visionPDX. Through thisprocess we have been privileged to hear thewishes, the challenges, the wisdom andthe excitement of what it means to be aPortlander – in what we desire and believePortland can be in the next quarter century.Many of us believe that our naturalenvironment and our unique history haveproduced a quality of life that is second tonone. The current generations have beengiven many gifts, including the beautyof our setting, a vibrant central city andthriving neighborhoods, a creative andentrepreneurial spirit and a commitmentto the common good. These gifts bestowon us an even greater responsibility tobe stewards for the generations to come.Knowing that our population will growand become more diverse and that energyavailability and climate change will challengeus, we come together, not only to maintain, but toimprove our quality of life and to build on the gifts given us.We thank all of you who have given your time, your insights andyour love of this place we call our home to create a shared visionfor our future. We were joined in this effort by an amazing groupof volunteers, community organizations, and a talented staff. The50+ member volunteer committee defined the visioning process,developed the key questions, and reached out to all corners ofour community. We then read every word that was written insurveys or spoken during interviews and shaped those ideas intothe vision described in this booklet.This process was not simple. We struggled with the realities ofthe trends facing our city. How do we realize our dreams whileadjusting to the changes facing our city and the world? We alsodebated the inevitable conflict we found in the responses. Inthe end, we decided to highlight those challenges for furtherdiscussion, rather than neglect them (see page 38).While as a community we don’t agree on everything, we do havea great deal in common. The core values described on pages9-12 were found in responses from people of all backgrounds,income levels, and occupations. These values – as well as theinvestments and accomplishments of our predecessors – provide asolid foundation for defining and creating the future we want forourselves and those generations that will follow us.We welcome and ask all Portlanders to join us in turning ourshared vision into a reality. A group of leaders from a variety ofgovernment, businesses and community organizations have signedon to craft policies, plans and programs that will get us there.Please join us in this next and most vital stage of our journey forour city, our home.Sincerely,Marvin Kaiser and Sheila MartinvisionPDX Committee Co-Chairs2

why do we vision?Portland’s Visionary HistoryPortland has a rich history of visioning and planning for thefuture. Despite the fact that few plans have been completelyimplemented, previous planning projects have made way for someof the most cherished aspects of our city.Between 1885 and 1915, Portland’s population increased by300% and its physical boundaries grew by 154%. Partly inresponse to this growth and rising interest in the City BeautifulMovement, the Olmsted brothers were commissioned by thePortland Parks Board to design an open space system that wouldaccommodate their prevailing and future open space needs 1 .The 1903 Olmsted Plan provided a vision for parks connected byparkways and boulevards. Several pieces of the vision have beenimplemented over time: Mount Tabor Park, Willamette Park,Terwilliger Boulevard and Leif Erikson Drive were all called for inthe Olmsted Plan. Today’s “40-Mile Loop,” 160 miles of bicycle/pedestrian trails connecting many of Portland’s parks, was namedafter the approximately 40-mile-long system of boulevards andparkways that Olmsted proposed.The Bartholomew Report of 1932 wasthe first plan to envision parks along thebanks of the Willamette River. HarborDrive was built (see below) and laterremoved before this vision was turnedinto reality.In 1932, the Portland Planning Commission brought HarlanBartholomew to town to see if a new plan could revitalizePortland out of the Great Depression and address growingautomobile use. The result, a greatly detailed study known as theBartholomew Report, was the first plan to clearly articulate ideasfor Portland’s Central City 2 . A west-bank river park in downtownPortland was also envisioned in this document.John Charles Olmsted’s plan for Portlandareaopen spaces envisioned a cohesivenetwork of parks and parkways, many ofwhich exist today.1 City of Portland Bureau of Planning, Central Portland Plan Urban Design Assessment.2 ibid.why do we vision?3 3

More recently, the 1972 Downtown Plan marked an important shifttowards community members actively participating in planning. Thisplan grew out of community concerns that included disinvestmentin the downtown, increasing crime and the prevailing perception ofpoor public decisions. The plan marked a major shift towards thequality of public spaces, 3 and has helped define the downtown’spurpose and function.Planning efforts have ranged in form and purpose, but each wasdriven by the sense that planning today would protect and improvethe city for future generations.The implementation of these plans, including the more recentlegacy of public involvement, has made Portland the place we knowtoday: with a strong and vibrant central city, quality neighborhoods,significant public spaces throughout the city, the extensive andpopular light rail system, bicycle infrastructure and the ability toattract the young creative class.Portland’s 1972 Downtown Plan and the 1988 Central City Plan have shaped our city’sdowntown core over the past several decades. The Downtown Plan laid out specialdistricts throughout downtown and planned for land uses and transportation corridorswhich are still visible today.3 ibid.44why do we vision?

What Was the City’s Last Visioning Project?In response to changing trends and the political and economiclandscape in the late 1980s, the City Council and Mayor Bud Clarkcalled for Portland’s first City-led and community-owned effortto plan for a greater future for the city. The two-year process wasfunded by the City, with an initial contribution from the PortlandBusiness Association.The goal of Portland Future Focus (PFF) was to engage citizensin creating a vision of Portland in the year 2000. This vision, bornfrom the values and expressed needs of Portlanders, would shapea strategic plan outlining clear and definable goals and strategiesto guide Portland’s growth and to ensure that the city’s futurewas a self-determined one, rather than a mere adaptation of itscircumstance and surroundings.In 1989, 55 leaders from a cross-section of community interestswere chosen by the mayor and project staff to examine currenttrends and to create a preferred vision of the future.Citizen InvolvementPortland Future Focus was an ambitious initiative, and boastedbroad-scale involvement for a city of its size. Many publicengagement methods were utilized throughout the process togather the data needed to create Portland’s vision, including asurvey of community values, a speaker’s bureau, eight majorpolicy meetings, open work group meetings and a newsletter.The VisionBy the year 2000, Portland residents wished to see a culturallydiverse urban center that had preserved both its history andenvironmental integrity, and that remained the core of theregion’s economy. Children and families were recognized as thecommunity’s top priority, as was promoting understanding ofand appreciation for Portland’s increasingly diverse population.This vision, or preferred future, spoke to the city’s desire for anationally-ranked education system, distinct neighborhoodsand housing opportunities, a vibrant arts community and lowercrime rates. A regional focus and strong cooperation betweenjurisdictions, as well as forging new, lasting partnerships betweenlocal agencies and organizations, were seen as critical to reachingall of these goals.The PlanAs a result of the comprehensive nature of community needs andthe resulting vision statement, Portland’s strategic plan addresseda broad number of issue areas. Designed by Future Focus workinggroups made up of community experts, stakeholders, policycommittee members, and local consultants, its six action plansconcentrated on the same focus areas as the vision statement:• Crime• Diversity• Economy• Education• Growth management• LeadershipEach work group was charged with the task of designingappropriate action plan items to reach the community’s sixmost critical goals. Draft action plans became refined andfinalized through a series of public hearings hosted by the policycommittee.Implementation and ResultsVarious stakeholders throughout the city joined to workcollaboratively towards the successful implementation ofportland future focusspecific programs. The most lasting results, however, were thepartnerships formed as a result of cooperative efforts throughoutthe process. According to Debbie McCabe, Project Manager forFuture Focus, “the individuals involved were very invested inthe process,” and their ability to lead and to influence others“resulted in terrific recommendations” and lasting collaboration.Associations like the Citizens’ Crime Commission became muchstronger in the community, as did dialogue among Portlandbusiness owners. The efforts of working groups contributed tothe way we as a community address social issues. Among otherlasting trends, there emerged a reprioritization in educationtowards early outreach and intervention.Drawing from the innovative work of the Oregon Progress Board,the City of Portland and Multnomah County created the PortlandMultnomah Progress board in 1994 to design and implementbenchmarks (concrete, numerical indicators) used to monitorprogress and measure success in achieving public goals. Manyof today’s benchmarks grew from Portland Future Focus’ actionplans and are reflective of the project’s ambitions.Building on Portland Future FocusPortland Future Focus was successful in developing strongpartnerships and a benchmark system to measure performance.After over 15 years, both the partnerships and the benchmarksneed to be reinvigorated. visionPDX has laid a foundation for thiswork, as well as raising the bar for public engagement.Furthermore, visionPDX has been strongly integrated intoplanning efforts, like the Portland Plan and the Vision into ActionCoalition. These efforts will follow the adoption of visionPDX,ensuring that the priorities identified in the visioning process willbe integrated into the City budget process as well as the day-todayand year-to-year decisions about programs and priorities.why do we vision?5 5

communityvision projectDefinition: The process bywhich a community sees orconceives its future. A collaborativeeffort involving allcommunity members, leadersand officials in shaping:1. A plan for the futurewe’d like for our city;2. How we prioritize whatissues and projects totackle; and3. How communitymembers are involved inpublic decisions.Why Do We Vision?Portland is facing important trends and changes in the coming years,and visioning can help us build a cohesive plan to help us succeed.Communities are often focused on day-to-day problems and challenges.Without a vision to guide them, a community’s individualactions may not add up to a unified whole.The forecasted trends predict that the Portland region will grow byan additional million people in the next 25 years. Those people willlikely be more diverse and older on average than those here today.The industries that once drove our economy – forest products andtransportation – are playing a smaller role, while high-tech andservice jobs have been employing more of our workers. Global issueslike climate change will impact our region. How can we ensure thatwe maintain the aspects of this city that we hold dear while planningfor the future?Community visioning is a powerful tool for managing change. Itsprimary purpose is to unite the community around common goals.Through the act of visioning, whole communities identify what theylove most about their cities, so that those elements can be preservedand enjoyed by future generations. Visioning can also help communitiesreach agreement on their biggest challenges, how the choices wemake might affect our future, and how we can balance these pressuresin the face of change. Visioning projects give local governmentleaders direction on where the community wants to be in the future.Oregon cities have been at the forefront of a growing trend towardsusing visioning to set priorities for a community. Cities like Gresham,Corvallis, Hillsboro and Bend have completed visioning projects overthe past decade, and the impacts on their communities have beenfar-reaching.Over 15 years have passed since Portland’s government and our communitylast engaged in a “big picture” look at the future of our city,1991’s Portland Future Focus (see sidebar page 5). Since then, Portlandhas experienced significant demographic shifts, a rise in housingcosts and continued growth. Many new Portlanders were not livinghere when our community last envisioned its future. Portland is ripefor a reevaluation of its values and direction.Goals of VisioningIn our process, visionPDX primarily sought to discover and establishPortlanders’ values. Through the analysis of the community input, wefocused on what was driving people’s ideas. We took time to identifywhat Portlanders hold in common, even when they sometimes disagreedover particular solutions.As such, the rich data collected through visionPDX can be used as abaseline for policy makers, bureau directors, businesses, community organizationsand individuals to help prioritize actions that are aligned withPortlanders’ values and that are widely and deeply felt by the communityas a whole.The visionPDX process first asked Portlanders what they value mostabout their community, then what changes they would like to see today.After identifying immediate challenges facing the city, we asked people’sgreater vision for Portland in 20 years. Finally, we asked, “How can we getthere?” By taking community members through this simple exercise, wegained an understanding of where Portlanders agree and where there aretensions in public opinion.In our analysis of the data, we found that some assumptions aboutPortlanders’ beliefs were confirmed. We also discovered that the publicis thinking about a range of pressing issues, many of which will requirecollaborative problem-solving.Equally important to our visioning process was the act of engagement. Bytaking the time to meet with and talk to people, we built ownership ofthe vision. Once people were meaningfully engaged, they became keenlyinterested in the outcome of visionPDX, both for themselves and forPortland. These partners will be influential in carrying the vision beyondCity government and into the community, where meaningful action willoccur.66why do we vision?

Origins of visionPDXShortly after Mayor Tom Potter took office, he began several majorinitiatives to re-evaluate the way government operates and to makeit more responsive to needs of the public. More than that, MayorPotter believed that the public should shape its own future. Thevisioning process was a way to explore community governance– real community ownership over the decisions that affect thecommunity.visionPDX was established to give the community a “place at thetable” to consider the direction for our future. At the time theproject was conceived, the City of Portland was facing budget cuts,while demands for City services were growing. The vision was away to use the community’s creativity in addressing some of ourbiggest challenges, while also celebrating what we love about ourhome.By starting this conversation, Mayor Potter planned to re-orientlocal decision-making to be more in tune with what Portlandersreally need and want, as well as to empower them to take a rolein overcoming the challenges that we face. Mayor Potter wantedto strengthen existing and create new community networks thatcan be self-sustaining, reducing the burden on local government tosolve issues by itself. We suspected, and it was confirmed, that thecommunity knows best what Portlanders need and want and whatmust be done to get there.How to Read This DocumentWhat follows is a written representation of what over 17,000people said through visionPDX that they want for Portland’s future.The following sections describe:Shared values: Community principles largely agreed upon bythe people with whom we talked.Portland’s vision for 2030: A summary of where we wantto go as a community, written as if we were in the year 2030.Five elements of Portland: These sections describe in moredetail how the values and vision look in different aspects of ourcity. These are the community’s ideas placed into the main areasof our city, written as if we were in the year 2030.Expect change: Primary trends that will impact ourcommunity in the future.Community challenges: Areas that need more conversationand problem-solving to determine how to proceed. Thesearose out of disagreements in what we heard, as well as likelychallenges as the trends described in the “expect change”section come up against our values and preferred future.The rest of the document describes how we carried out ourprocess to reach this point, and how visionPDX is already formingthe foundation for other planning processes underway in the Cityof Portland.The vision, values and elements can be viewed independently todepict what we want Portland to look like in 2030. In addition, thechallenges, the trends our community faces – and the people wetalked to in order to develop this vision – are all valuable parts ofwhat lies behind this vision and how it can be used. We hope thatthis document is a resource for all who want to learnabout what the community thinks and how to enact thevision.Visit www.visionPDX.com in the coming months fortools to help you incorporate the vision into your dailyactions, your community’s activities and your businessplans.communityengagement reportIn a separate report, visionPDXshares the insights and lessonslearned from our communityengagement phase of the project.Information in the report includes:1. Principles for successfulengagement of hard-toreachcommunities;2. Stories from communitymembers and organizationsabout their involvement invisionPDX; and3. The lasting impact ofcommunity visioning andpartnerships formed throughthe visionPDX process.Visit www.visionPDX.comPhoto by Mike Houckportland’s vision7 7

portland’s vision for 2030Shaped by the Willamette andColumbia Rivers, Portland connectspeople and nature to create aninternational model of equity andsustainability.We are a city of communities. Our distinctneighborhoods and vibrant downtown aresafe, energizing civic and cultural spaces.Our diverse population, innovative businessesand forward-thinking leaders work together toensure livability for all.Photo by Thomas Le Ngo8portland’s vision

portland’s valuescommunity connectedness and distinctivenessThese were thetop three valueswe heard:• CommunityConnectednessandDistinctiveness• Equity andAccessibility• SustainabilityWe value a strong sense of connection in our communities.Building trust and relationships leads to a better quality of life. Wevalue our local and small-scale political, social, economic and culturalenvironments. Our varied neighborhoods make Portland a specialplace.We value that Portland is different from the rest of the country andwe seek to preserve and protect the qualities that make us unique.We value public spaces where neighbors can interact, includingparks, community centers, farmers markets, community gardens,neighborhood schools and more. We value the vibrancy created byinteracting with other people.We value civic awareness and involvement, volunteerism, and localdecision-making. We support a community-based decision-makingstructure.We love that Portland offers many big-city amenities, but has keptits small-town feel. We like the friendliness, approachability and “easygoing” attitude of Portlanders.Portlanders Discuss Community:“I love the smaller town feel with many bigcity attributes. Great restaurants, theatre andshopping but still has the feeling that you’llrun into your neighbor or someone from thecommunity wherever you are around town.”“It’s a human-scale city: its institutions,architecture, transportation and other amenitiesare very approachable and not intimidating.”“I value walkable neighborhoods with schools,parks, mass transit, grocery stores and smallindependent businesses in the neighborhood.Keeping urban neighborhoods safe andconvenient is extremely important to the vitalityof Portland.”“I like Portland’s individuality. It’s nothomogenous like so many other cities. KeepPortland weird!”“[I value] the wonderful spirit that pervades thiscommunity. It is the only large city I know ofwhere traffic still stops to let you cross the street,even when you are not at a crosswalk. At the coreof our success is how much we value people andrelationships.”“[My vision for Portland:] We are all walkingsafely on the streets, with a deep backgroundfeeling of family – that we are all in this togetherand that we belong.”portland’s values9 9

equity and accessibilityWe value the right of every person to have access toopportunities for meeting basic needs and improving healthand well-being. We believe that all residents should be able touse our systems to access jobs, services, housing, education,transportation options and passive and active recreation withoutphysical, social or economic barriers.We believe in innovative approaches to creating economicopportunity beyond addressing basic needs.We value the ability of all Portlanders, regardless ofbackground, to find living wage employment.We value sufficient employment opportunities to keep talentedpeople in Portland and to provide meaningful work.We believe that the benefits and burdens of growth andchange should be shared fairly among our communities, and allresidents and groups should be fully involved as equal partnersin public decision-making.Portlanders Discuss Equity and Accessibility“The test for every decision made by our cityleadership is, ‘Is this action in the best interest ofthe citizens who must live with its results [and]consequences?’”“[My vision:] Portland has led the state andthe nation in assuring equal civil rights for all...including gay people.”“[In the future,] health insurance and health careare available to all – and that includes alcohol,drug and mental health treatment.”Attendees at a BroadArts visionPDX performance answer questions about the city’s future.“[My vision:] Our neighborhoods are integrated.There is no such thing as the rich part of townor the poor part of town. People of color andimmigrants are no longer compelled to live in aselect few neighborhoods.”“[I hope] it is a city where every child in everypublic school has an opportunity for a first rateeducation; an education that is not only focusedon excellence in English, math and science,but which emphasizes civic involvement, anunderstanding of how government works, … andwhich offers opportunities to every child for a richeducation in the arts.”A visionPDX Committee member socializes with anIRCO employee at the IRCO visionPDX Open House.Photo by Stacy Davis1010portland’s values

We value taking responsibility for actions that will affect our long-termfuture. Sustainability means meeting the environmental, social, cultural andeconomic needs of the present while ensuring the similar needs of futuregenerations. Sustainability indicates care and respect for the ecosystem aswell as for the people within it.Environmental Sustainability: We value our natural environment,and recognize that the actions of individuals, communities, governmentand businesses can impact our environment, both locally and globally. Wevalue innovation to creatively address environmental challenges, and weprioritize the natural environment in policies and decisions.Social Sustainability: We value social and cultural interaction amongdiverse members of our community, and put a priority on social capital andlearning from one another. Social sustainability means that we considerhow the choices we make affect other people in our community now andin the future.Cultural Sustainability: We realize that our region has been populatedfor thousands of years, and we recognize and appreciate these originalinhabitants and their work to protect this place for future generations. Wealso work to preserve the recent history of our people and this place tohelp tell the full story of our community.Economic Sustainability: We believe that working towardssustainability does not have to harm the economy but gives us acompetitive advantage. We value systems that enable businesses tosupport themselves and their employees while embodying the community’svalues. We support our local businesses to ensure that our community’sdistinctiveness will continue to flourish.Portlanders DiscussSustainability“Until I moved to Portland, I didnot even begin to understandthe importance of sustainability.It is this I value most, becausewe are a city filled with peoplewho really do care about theenvironment and our longtermeffects on the world as awhole.”“It is important for me to live ina community that promotes recycling and sustainability. It givesme hope for the future. Our environment is paramount to me.”“The city has truly become an example of a sustainable way oflife, proving it is feasible, and at the same time keeping ties to theglobal economy and being economically strong.”sustainabilityCity Repair’sT-Horse bringsout folks totalk about theircommunity ona hot summerday.“[In the future,] we are a city almost entirely fueled by renewableenergy. Reducing waste, reusing, and recycling is a way of life for almost everyone. Weset an example for the rest of the country. We inspire the nation to live as we live and,as a result, make our nation and our world more responsible.”“I imagine Portland to continue and enhance its commitment to green spaces and parks,as well as naming many of these places after the Tribal communities that originally livedhere.”portland’s values1 11

Photo by Stacy DavisThese values were also strongly expressed in the community input.additional valuesAccountability and LeadershipWe value transparent and fair processes. We value decision-makers with integritywho are connected to the community and consider the common good when makingchoices. We value leaders who inspire others to act towards a common goal.Inclusion and DiversityWe value fostering respect for and promoting interaction among all individuals inour community, regardless of race, ethnicity, sex, gender or gender identity, sexualorientation, belief system, political ideology, ability, socioeconomic status, educationalstatus, veteran status, place of origin, age and geography. By doing this, we will havericher relationships and make better decisions for our future.Innovation and CreativityWe value imagination and original thinking to introduce and test new ideas, productsand services that benefit the community. We believe that many solutions can be foundto seemingly intractable problems through collective and creative problem-solving.SafetyWe value communities that are safe, crime-free and work in partnership with publicsafety efforts. We value a caring community that seeks to support those in needof help or assistance. We prepare for emergencies and support development andmaintenance of infrastructure – sidewalks, roads, bike paths, sewer and water lines,power lines, urban tree canopy, etc. – that will support safe and healthy communities.PhotosPhotobybyStacyStacyDavisDavis1212portland’s values

Descriptions of life in Portland’s futureWe used the community’s values and vision to develop a picture of how various elements of ourcity could look in 2030. Each element includes: a description of topics covered in that section, mainideas emerging from the community’s values, a story about what Portland might look and feel likein 2030 and some directive statements on how the main ideas could be more specifically applied.The quotes are drawn from community responses to the visionPDX questionnaire.five elementsbuilt portlandBuilt Portland covers the physical and structural parts of our city, such as buildings, houses, parks,open spaces, transportation and roads. Built Portland considers what we want our communities tolook and feel like, how we get around and what role our downtown serves in the region.The following statements reflect our values and how they apply to Built Portland.In 2030:Our city is compact, green, dynamic and accessible to allPortlanders.We innovate in the areas of transportation, public art,architecture and design while maintaining a healthyinfrastructure.Decisions about how and what to build are thoughtfullymade and incorporate diverse viewpoints and priorities.Our distinctive neighborhoods are built around hubs andexist in relationship with a thriving downtown, which is thecenter of the metro region.Our built environment is a mix of the reassuringly oldand strikingly new.We value our public, open and natural spaces as wellas our safe, comfortable streets.People in all parts of Portland get around easily onfoot, bikes, wheels and public transportation.We have access to and can afford to live in a varietyof housing choices geared to our diverse populations.Photo by www.portlandground.comelements of the city13 13

uilt portlandImagine the possibilities for the Built Portland of 2030. Here’s just one possible story.What will the story look like for your neighborhood, your community?Emily’s DayEmily, a 24-year-old Portland State graduate student,leaves her home in Outer East Portland a little after8:00 AM. She bought her condo, situated along thenew MAX line, because it offered a fast and easyway to get downtown, but also had entertainment,stores and restaurants within walking and bikingdistance. She takes the train downtown with herbike, and after class, heads over to Forest Park forsome hiking with her friend before visiting hergrandmother, Carol, in the King neighborhood.Though getting older, Carol will be able to remain inher home for years to come because it was designedto allow people of all abilities to use it, with fewstairs, easy-to-turn knobs, wide doorways and more.Many public buildings have been similarly redesignedto be more accessible to people with disabilities andto elders.Unlike Emily, Carol tends to drive most places – she’s unable tobike and prefers the independence of the car to the bus. Eventhough the city of Portland now has several hundred thousandmore people than it did decades ago, the roads are still wellmaintained,and Carol has little problem getting around thecity in her carbon-neutral car.Today, though, Carol and Emily walk to a local communitycenter for a gardening workshop. Emily just reserved a spot atone of Portland’s many community gardens, and Carol, withher big backyard garden, is helping her granddaughter learnthe ropes.After the workshop, Emily joins a friend for a late supper nearhome at one of Portland’s many delicious restaurants, wherethey run into some folks they know from the neighborhood.Emily is reminded of how small Portland still feels, despite allthe recent growth, and is happy that the city has been able tomaintain that community feeling.14elements of the city

Imagine the possibilities for the Economic Portland of 2030. Here’s just one possiblestory. What will the story look like for your neighborhood, your community?economic portlandNazanine’s DayNazanine rises early. A local baker, she does much of her workbefore the rest of the city wakes up. She enjoys her time alone,though – on her short walk to the bakery she often runs into someearly joggers or dog-walkers, who she’ll later see in her store. Herwalk gives her time to reflect.Nazanine moved to Portland a few years ago from her homein New York, and found just what she was looking for: areal community that is supportive of small businesses andentrepreneurs. She received assistance from both the Citygovernment and her customers to make her dream – her very ownPersian-inspired bakery – a reality.After the lunchtime rush, she heads over to abusiness association meeting, where she agreesonce again to organize the annual art festival. Sheloves how active the businesses are in Portland’s“neighborhood villages,” and with the influx ofcorporate headquarters downtown that supportthe arts, fundraising for these events has becomeeven easier.Nazanine heads off to shop and make some callsto suppliers before walking home again, as anotherday in the neighborhood comes to a close.Jacob is already at the store when Nazanine arrives, and she isgrateful once again that she’s been able to find so many goodemployees who also live in the neighborhood. Localism is a themerunning throughout her business. With new networks of suppliersand processors, she is able to source most of her flour, sugar,eggs and other ingredients from area farmers, and she workswith other businesses in nearby neighborhoods to take care of herbookkeeping, printing and other needs.elements of the city17 17

economic portlandConsidering our values and the trends our community faces, we provide some direction forEconomic Portland in the statements below.Visualizing Economic Portland1. Portland is the global model for sustainable business practices.2. Local incomes rise because industry, education and governmentcollaborate to increase skills of low-wage workers and the unemployed.3. Portland attracts and cultivates innovative, creative and entrepreneurialtalent that continuously sustains and renews our economy.4. Portland fosters the development of small and large businesses thatsupport our core values, enhance neighborhood viability and draw onlocal talent.5. Portland provides incentives for business and cultural activities to settleand stay in the city center.6. Portland’s distinctive neighborhood stores provide a diverse array ofproducts and services for local residents, so that residents can obtaindaily goods and services within walking or biking distance of theirhomes.7. Portland sees economic development as an inclusive effort withdiverse strategies designed to bring prosperity to all segments of thepopulation.8. Portland has invested in mentorship and support programs for smallbusinesses, allowing them to grow and thrive.“I’d like to see Portland bring in greentechnologybusiness, as well as keep itsmanufacturing and biotech endeavors.”“I’d like to see more jobs closer to whereI live so I wouldn’t have to leave my boywith my sister when I’m at work.”“[We need] more jobs with better wages.Income is not keeping pace with increasedhousing costs.”“I believe that Portland should emphasizeprotecting the middle class (which is rapidlyevaporating in the U.S.) and lead thecountry in finding ways to encourage smallbusiness to tap into our most valuableresource, our well-educated, alternativethinkingyoung adults.”9. Brownfields are restored in an environmentally sustainable manner tosupport economic and community health.18elements of the city

environmental portlandEnvironmental Portland includes both the natural areas within and around Portland, as well as ourcommitment to sustainability and environmental preservation. Environmental Portland addressesareas including transportation, our rivers, our parks system and our lifestyles.The following statements reflect our values and how they apply to EnvironmentalPortland.In 2030:Protection and restoration of the natural environmentis integrated into every aspect of civic life, guiding ourdecisions and public policy.All Portlanders have equitable access to public resourcessuch as public transportation, bike and walking paths,community gardens and access to locally-grown, healthfulfood.This access allows each of us, regardless of location oreconomic status, to choose environmentally sustainablelifestyles.Our healthy streams, rivers and forests support adiversity of native plants and wildlife.Greenspaces and parks are plentiful throughoutour city and the vibrant Willamette River is a hub ofcommunity activity.We are a model of a sustainable city, and assuch we proactively address key issues includingtransportation, development, energy and water use.Photo by Mike HouckPhoto by Thomas Le NgoPhoto by Mike Houckelements of the city19 19

environmental portlandImagine the possibilities for the Environmental Portland of 2030. Here’s just onepossible story. What will the story look like for your neighborhood, your community?Justin’s DayJustin wakes up early, but not early enough to catch hishousemates. He and three of his friends bought their oldbungalow a few years back, when the City of Portlandoffered incentives for groups of people to buy olderhouses originally designed for single families. For the City,this meant more population density with existing housingstock and conserving resources. For Justin and his friends,it meant being able to gain equity in a home while living ina convenient, close-in neighborhood, something he wouldnot have been able to do on his own.Justin takes a quick shower, barely realizing how differentthe experience was from the people living in the house30 years earlier. His water is heated by solar panels on hisroof; the shower is short, to preserve drinking grade water;and this water, along with that from the kitchen sink andgutters, is captured in a cistern below the ground to beused as “greywater” for flushing the toilet and wateringthe garden. This is now standard practice – not only doesit save money, but it also makes much better use of a valuableresource.After a quick run in one of his neighborhood parks, hebikes off to work. Justin is one of many people in the regionemployed in the clean energy field. He helps people adoptenergy-efficient practices in older houses as well as installrenewable energy systems in homes and neighborhoods.Today, Justin reviews plans developed by one neighborhoodassociation to site small-scale wind turbines in their district,then leads a public meeting with nearby residents about theproject.Justin ends his day with a meeting with City officials and businessesabout creating an “Energy Zone,” an area of town thatwould be a net exporter of energy to other parts of the city.While many folks are already living environmentally responsibly,and new developments meet high standards on greenbuilding and energy use, the growth of the city has madecarbon-neutrality a moving target. Pilot projects like this havebeen known to inspire others to action. Justin is glad to becreating a positive future in Portland, knowing that his workmotivates others to do the same.20elements of the city

Considering our values and the trends our community faces, we provide some direction forEnvironmental Portland in the statements below.Visualizing Environmental Portland1. A commitment to nature and the environment is one of thethings that unites Portlanders – from daily purchases to longtermprojects, we consider the environmental implications ofthe decisions we make.2. Every Portland resident lives within a short distance of a park orgreenspace.11. Portland continues to excel in recycling, which nowdiverts almost all waste products into new uses, savingenergy, landfill space and creating new products.12 Our community has prepared for resource scarcity, and wedo not suffer from changes in access to oil, water, food orelectricity.environmental portland3. We have many pocket parks, community gardens, rooftoppublic spaces and other alternate open spaces in addition toour large city parks.4. The city has developed and implemented a policy of zero netloss of green and open spaces.5. In addition to protecting green and open spaces within the city,commitment to good planning for growth has ensured thatnatural areas, farms and outdoor recreation are still nearby andeasy to access outside the city.6. Some brownfield sites are regenerated into greenspaces andwildlife habitat.7. The urban tree canopy has continued to expand.8. Portland maintains healthy rivers, streams, wetlands and ponds.9. The Willamette River is now clean enough to swim in and itprovides abundant wildlife habitat and safe fishing.10. There are public and private incentives for local, organic foodproduction.13. Portlanders enjoy some of the cleanest air and water in thecountry.13. Our city has developed educational opportunities that makeecological, sustainable lifestyles accessible for all Portlanders.“[We need] a cleaner Willamette River area. TheWillamette is a beautiful centerpiece to Portland’sscene and it should be valued as such.”“I absolutely love the park systems. It is soamazing to have such a large selection of highquality and enjoyable parks. It makes the cityseem very open and uncongested.”“It is important for me to live in a communitythat promotes recycling and sustainability. Itgives me hope for the future. Our environmentis paramount to me.”elements of the city21 21

learning portlandLearning Portland considers not only schools, but also practicing an ethic of lifelong education. Learning Portlandrecognizes that education happens on both the individual and community levels and that it is strongly linked toeconomic prosperity.The following statements reflect our values and how they apply to Learning Portland.In 2030:Portland has established itself as a world-class educationalcommunity.Built on the understanding that education is vital to the socialand economic health of the city, Portland is committed to, andnurtures, all forms of learning.Children and young people are valued and understood to bethe future of our society.Elders are likewise revered for their wisdom and offeredopportunities for both teaching and learning.We hold an unwavering commitment that all young peopleare afforded high quality education while providing diverseways to learn and achieve.Lifelong learning guides our education through an integratedsystem of early childhood education through high school,college, professional and community education, and beyond.Education and learning are the foundation for achieving ourindividual and community goals.Our schools are multiple-use facilities and integralcomponents of our neighborhoods and communities.22elements of the city

learning portlandImagine the possibilities for the Learning Portland of 2030. Here’s just one possiblestory. What will the story look like for your neighborhood, your community?The Parker FamilyA family that spans generations in one home, the Parkersexemplify Portland’s commitment to lifelong learning.June Parker, the matriarch, is a widow who considersherself to be both a teacher and a student. She instructscommunity members on Portland’s African Americanhistory at the Oregon Historical Society and is alsoearning a second degree from the University of Portlandin a program designed for returning students. June’sclassmates come from different areas of the city and theglobe – with some decades younger than she, and oneeven older.June lives with her children and grandchildren in a newdevelopment, built for larger families and intended tobring more children into the inner city school district.Within the development are June’s two children, theirspouses and five grandchildren. Not only does the familyenjoy being close, they foresee a day when June will needhome care and they know she will have loved ones near byto help.Mike Parker, June’s son, is an architect whohelped build the development where they live.He decided to join the profession at an early age,when Portland Public Schools and several localarchitecture firms sponsored a hands-on learningprogram in his middle school. Mike is happy tosee that these programs have now expandedthroughout all of Portland’s public schools toinclude art, music, theater, medicine, greenbuilding and many other public-private learningpartnerships.Of June’s five grandchildren, four are enrolledin public school, one of which is a music andarts high school with a sister-city arts exchangeprogram.The youngest, Candice, attends an on-site earlychildhood development center. June often dropsby to read her favorite childhood chapter booksto Candice and her classmates.elements of the city23 23

learning portlandConsidering our values and the trends our community faces, we provide some directionfor Learning Portland in the statements below.Visualizing Learning Portland1. Every Portlander has the opportunity to achieveindividual educational goals, and Portland providesan educational environment that ensures thatanyone has the ability to obtain higher educationdegrees.2. Portlanders cherish our five public school districts;quality public education is readily available to everypre-k-20 student.3. The public and private sectors jointly provide apre-K-20 educational enterprise that serves theintellectual, cultural and economic needs of theregion, the city and its people.“I think great cities start with great schools.”“[My vision for Portland:] All children attend theirneighborhood school and there are NO segregatedclassrooms.”“My future Portland…is famous across the nation forits successful educational system: students flourish hereand feel respected, no matter their race or economicbackground.”4. Portland’s higher education institutions serve asincubators of intellectual, economic and creativeideas.5. The arts are integrated into all pre-K-12 educationas a commitment of Portland to develop and fostercreativity and innovation.6. Portland provides adequate training for its futureeconomy by investing in programs that prepareyoung people for the workforce.“I want middle class families to flock back to PPS becauseit offers creative and substantial academic programs.”“[In the future,] PSU has turned into a well-fundedmajor research institution yet maintained its come-onecome-alleducational atmosphere.”7. Teachers are valued and supported in the schoolsand in community.24elements of the city

Social Portland considers individual and community health and well-being and how we relate to oneanother. It covers the civic life of Portland from processes for engaging communities in public decisionmaking to partnerships in public safety.social portlandThe following statements reflect our values and how they apply to Social Portland.In 2030:We are a community whose members care about and arecommitted to our individual and collective well-being.We view our diversity as a vital community asset, whetherthey are differences of race, ethnicity, sex, gender or genderidentity, sexual orientation, belief system, political ideology,ability, socio-economic status, educational status, veteranstatus, place of origin, age or geography.We facilitate the inclusion of all Portlanders in ourdemocratic processes and in community decision-making.Because we are actively engaged in the governance of ourcity, we have confidence that our leaders’ decisions advancethe common good.Portlanders have equal access to education, employment,health care, safety, and housing, and our basic needs aremet.Health is a priority for our community and health care isavailable to all.All Portlanders feel safe on our neighborhood streets andin our downtown, and our community members workwith a responsive police force to solve problems.Portlanders create, appreciate, and have access to avariety of art culture, reflecting our community’s heartand soul.Photo by www.portlandground.comPhoto by Thomas Le NgoPhoto by Stacy Daviselements of the city25 25

social portlandImagine the possibilities for the Social Portland of 2030. Here’s just one possiblestory. What will the story look like for your neighborhood, your community?The Story of Juan and SumayaJuan and Sumaya came from different continents, hefrom South America and she from Africa. Althoughpolitical unrest in their home countries brought themboth to Portland, they didn’t realize they had somuch in common until they met at Portland’s civicleadership center – a gathering place that unitesdiverse cultures and communities and forms a hub ofcivic engagement.Having spent several years in a refugee camp asa child, Sumaya struggled with English and withschoolwork when she first came to Portland.Fortunately, the civic leadership center housed manyindependent cultural organizations with bilingualand bicultural tutors, who helped her catch up onhomework. Juan was also enrolled in a tutoringcourse, and soon not only were both students able tospeak English, Sumaya was also speaking Spanish andJuan had learned a few phrases in Somali.A few months ago, Juan and Sumaya were elected bytheir peers to serve on an advisory council for PortlandPublic Schools, an example of Portland’s efforts toinvolve youth in local government. Today they arevisiting the offices inside the center with multilingualflyers about an upcoming meeting designed to connectparents to their children’s schools. It is a familiar rolefor Juan and Sumaya, who also serve as unofficialambassadors to new immigrants and refugees,organizing monthly “Welcome to Portland” gatheringsat the center. At these meetings, newcomers get toknow their adopted city and neighbors who live nearby.Several City offices have moved into the center,bringing local government closer to the community.City employees and neighbors can often be seenchatting over coffee or tea in the center’s many informalgathering spaces or visiting local businesses.Photo by Belen Sainz--Lopez26elements of the city

social portlandConsidering our values and the trends our community faces, we provide some direction for SocialPortland in the statements below.Visualizing Social Portland1. The City of Portland has invested in accessible gatheringspaces where its diverse community members can interact andcommunicate.2. As in generations past, Portlanders find unique ways to solveproblems collectively because the City of Portland encouragespublic deliberation and considers public decisions frommultiple viewpoints.3. Responding to the increasing diversity of its residents, the Cityof Portland has developed civic engagement mechanisms thatallow for broad participation.4. Neighborhood associations have a strong voice, as doidentity-based groups whose members cross neighborhoodboundaries.5. Structural barriers to public involvement have been addressedand all Portlanders actively participate in civic life.6. Government has ensured accessibility and equity in all publicprograms.7. Basic needs of community members are met, allowingPortlanders the opportunity to succeed and to express theirfull ingenuity.8. Individual, community and environmental health are amongthe highest in the nation because they are considered a publicpriority.9. Heath care is available to all and Portland is committed tosustaining the adequacy, viability and excellence of local healthcare systems.10. The police force is reflective of Portland’s diversity and officerswork collaboratively with the entire community to resolveconflicts and keep the city safe.11. Both the urban core and our neighborhoods are healthy, cleanand crime-free spaces to live, work and play.12. The variety and breadth of artistic and cultural activitiesshowcases our city’s commitment to creativity and innovation.“Keeping Portland small enough to remain acommunity where every voice can be heard isimportant to me.”“Portland is diverse! Different cultures are welcomedhere, including the disability community!”“[In the future,] the social conscience of the cityhas shifted from focusing on surface issues to reallyaddressing the class and race issues that exist.”Photo by Mike Houckelements of the city27 27

population growthTop: Elders in Action volunteers hit thestreets to talk to elders about visionPDX.Bottom: Korean American seniors fillout the visionPDX questionnaire as partof the Korean American Citizens Leaguegrant.Aging PopulationAs we consider the kind of city we want in thefuture, we must also consider the fact that we willbe a city whose residents are older.Nationwide, the population is aging. The U.S.Census bureau predicts that the percentage ofthe population age 65 and over will increase from12.4 percent in 2000 to 20.7 percent in 2050.In our region, as shown in the chart below, theover-65 population will more than double, andits share of the population will rise from about 10percent today to over 16 percent in 2025. Similarly,the over-85 population will double.Retiring Baby BoomersThese changes have important implicationsfor business, education and government. Asthe baby boom generation ages, business andgovernment struggle to find replacements forworkers nearing retirement and higher educationconsiders ways to train the current workforce tomeet these emerging needs. According to theOregon Employment Department, the numberof workers ages 65 and older increased by 64percent from 1992 to 2002, and the percent ofworkers nearing retirement age, age 54 to 64,increased by roughly 70 percent during that sametime. Older workers are well represented in someof the state’s largest industries, particularly healthservices.Planning for AgingAs a community, we must consider how to address the needs of adiverse, aging population in the way we provide services such aspublic transportation, parks, and housing.In addition to different needs, the aging population can provideresources as they retire – nonprofits may get a boon in the energyand experience of the retiring baby boomers to improve our citythrough volunteerism and by increasing social connectedness.Planning for older populations can be an important component of thecommunity’s work in the next two decades. Participatory processes,community involvement and expert direction are needed to meet theneeds, as well as harness the potential, of an aging society.500,000450,000400,000350,000300,000250,000200,000150,000100,00050,0000Aging Population Projection, Portland MetropolitanArea65+85+Male Female Total Male Female Total2005 2025Source: Oregon Office of Economic Analysis; Washington State Office of Financial Analysis30 30expect change

What does a million mean?Metro Councilor Brian Newman’sspeech at the June 23, 2006,Metro New Look Forumencourages residents to visualizehow the region will look whena million more people live here.Presented here is an abridgedversion.It is very difficult for most peopleto conceptualize what impact onemillion new residents will have onthe region. I believe that the bestway to conceptualize the magnitudeof the challenge in front of us is toobserve how this region changed aswe absorbed the most recent millionresidents.To do this we need to go back to1968, because during the period between1968 and 2006 we grew byone million residents. This journeyof 38 years won’t necessarily give usany insights into how to prepare forthe future, but it will give us a senseof scale for the changes and thechallenges that we are going to faceover the next 25 years.In 1968, the median sale price of asingle family home was $16,200.This was pretty affordable to someonewith the median householdincome of $7,700. A loaf of bread atFreddies cost 25-cents and gasolinewas just 34-cents per gallon. In fact,an entire barrel of gasoline in 1968cost a little more than what twogallons cost today ($6.23).Traffic congestion was not a problemin 1968. There was no rush hourtraffic on the only two freewaysin town: the Banfield Freeway andInterstate Five which opened twoyears prior with the completion ofthe Marquam Bridge. While thecheap gas and empty freeways representeda drivers’ paradise, therewere few other options for residentsto get around. TriMet didn’t evenexist in 1968 and a private buscompany called Rose City Transitteetered on the edge of insolvency.Back then, the local economy wasdominated by forest products,transportation and public utilities.Not one of the top ten employers in1968 is among the top 10 in 2006.Intel, our largest employer today,didn’t operate in Oregon in 1968.They opened their first plant inAloha in 1976. Nike didn’t exist in1968. Phil Knight was an AssistantProfessor of Business Administrationat Portland State. He ran a smallshoe company named Blue RibbonSports out of the trunk of his car.The company wouldn’t be renamedNike for another ten years.When it came to the commerciallife of the region, the world stillrevolved around central Portland.Lloyd Center Mall had just opened,but in the suburbs there was noWashington Square, ClackamasTown Center, or Mall 205. KruseWay was still the Kruse familyfarm. The large employment areasof Washington County and Rivergatewere still farms and marshlands respectively.In the area of higher education,Portland State University was thencalled Portland State College andannual tuition was just over $400.Community education was all therage in 1968. Both Mt. Hood andPortland Community Collegeswere established by public votethat year. Clackamas CommunityCollege was created just two yearsprior. It would be several yearsbefore any of these schools openeda campus.OHSU was still the University ofOregon Medical School. The threeschools of medicine, dentistry andnursing weren’t merged to formOHSU until 1974.As far as the built environment, theregion has changed dramatically aswe absorbed one million residents.In 1968, the tallest building indowntown Portland was the 25-storyHarrison Condominium tower in theSouth Auditorium area near PSU.Today, it is the 20th tallest buildingin Portland.The change in the suburbanlandscape has been no less dramatic.There were farms and open spacesbetween most communities 38 yearsago and it was probably unthinkableto the residents of Hillsborothat one day there would becontinuous urbanization betweentheir city and Beaverton, just as thatnotion of continuous urbanizationbetween Hillsboro and North Plainsis unthinkable today.Simply put, one million newresidents will have a transformativeimpact on our region. Preparingfor that future will take more thana few tweaks to height limits inour centers or designating a fewthousand acres of urban reserves onthe edge.We can’t predict the future, butwe are not powerless. Confrontedby rapid growth, our predecessorsdemonstrated uncommon leadershipby creating statewide land useplanning laws, the urban growthboundary, Metro and TriMet.They built new roads and lightrail lines, community colleges andhospitals. They created entirelynew neighborhoods and cities, andthey protected historic neighborhoodsfrom destruction. Theyrevitalized downtown Portland andadopted the [Metro] 2040 Plan tocurb suburban sprawl. They taxedthemselves to purchase over 8,000acres of natural areas.In Portland and Oregon, we haveinherited a legacy of innovationand progress in the face of rapidgrowth. Today is our turn to writethe next chapter and I am confidentthat we can step up to thechallenge.Metro Councilor BrianNewmanexpect change31

10%9%8%7%6%5%4%3%2%1%growing diversity0Percent Minority Population, Portland VancouverMetro Region2.7%3.3% 3.6% 0.9%1990 2000 20051.9% 1.8%Black/African-American American Indian/ Asian & Pacific Islander Hispanic/LatinoAlaska NativeSource: US Census BureauHispanic/Latino Age Distribution Metro Area 1900 & 2000Males85+80-8475-7970-7465-6960-6455-5950-5445-4940-4435-3930-3425-2920-2415-1910-145-90-43.4%6.2%7.0%3.3%Females7.4%1990 2000-15,000 -10,000 -5,000 0 5,000 10,000 15,0009.3%Source: US Census BureauThe metropolitan Portland area population hasa less ethnically diverse population than mostother metropolitan areas in the United Statesand the West Coast. Metropolitan Portland’sminority population comprised 20% of themetropolitan population in 2005, compared toan average 36% of other metropolitan areas ofsimilar size.Fueled by internal and international migrationand new births, Latinos are the fastest growingminority population in the metropolitan region.• The U.S. Census Bureau reports that theLatino population increased from 50,600in 1990 to 142,400 in 2000, an increase of181% during this period 9 .• Census estimates indicate that thispopulation grew by another 52,000between 2000 and 2005.An analysis of the age distribution of thispopulation shows that these populationchanges will have a dramatic effect on theethnic composition and the educational supportneeds of schools as the youngest members ofthis population enter school age.People of color are increasing as a percentageof overall population of the Portland region, andrelated changes and trends are also apparent.As a group, people of color in Portland tendto earn less than their white counterparts, andpoverty rates for minorities are higher than forwhites. Driven in part by housing affordability,there appear to be larger clusters of people ofcolor, people in poverty and children living infurther-out locations, both in Portland and in thelarger region, and fewer of them living in close-inPortland neighborhoods. The impact of this isalready affecting the region’s school systems andwill likely have many impacts on our community’sfuture.Our growing cultural and ethnic diversityprovides new challenges and opportunities forPortland to weave the richness of our manycommunities into our civic and social fabric.9There is general agreement that the US Census likelyundercounts certain population groups, including the poorand communities of color. This can happen because ofmistakes in reporting the data, fear of consequences if theinformation is shared and how the Census is carried out (bymail, which might miss homeless people or people who haveinformal living arrangements). Portland’s Native Americancommunity in particular has expressed concern about theaccuracy of Census data.32 32expect change

Changing Job MarketThe Portland Metropolitan region has shown robust employmentgains over the 30-year period from 1970 to the 1990s. The regionmore than doubled the number of jobs in all sectors, from around500,000 to over 1 million. Nationally, manufacturing declined inthe 1990s, but the Portland region experienced more than a 25%gain in employment in this sector. In the past, the region’s diversityamong sectors has provided insulation against the cyclical extremesof boom and bust cycles that have occurred in some cities 10 . In the1990s, the region was more subject to national trends.Currently, the Portland economy highlights many vulnerabilities.Like other cities, Portland has continued to lose headquarter statusof many national companies. While the greater number of manufacturingjobs has generated growth and higher income levels, ithas also made Portland more susceptible to a cyclical economy. Inaddition, the absence of a top tier research university directs muchpublic and private funding elsewhere 11 .As the Portland region emerged from the recession that hit in 2000and 2001, it added jobs to its economy. Today the region has morejobs than ever. However, the structure of those jobs has changed.Since 1990, the share of manufacturing jobs in the region hasfallen from 17.1 percent to 12.5 percent today, though the overallnumber has increased. At the same time, the share of jobs in theservice sector has expanded. Manufacturing is becoming less laborintensive, and services are becoming moreso; however, their sharesof statewide economic output have remained relatively stable inrecent decades. This has changed the requirements for getting agood job in our economy.Economic StrengthsPortland has distinguished itself in many ways, making it a desirable place to liveand work. Portland ranks 13th in educational attainment in cities, with almost 39%of Portlanders over age 25 holding a bachelors degree or higher 12 . An educatedworkforce is a necessary resource for high-tech and high-skill businesses. Portlandranks in the top five, and often in the top two, in many national rankings lookingat everything from biking and walking to dog ownership, sustainability, librarycirculation, local food and best places to live and visit 13 . A livable community is a drawfor new people, and Portland has seen its population grow while many other regionsin the country are shrinking, especially among the 25-34 age group.1,020,0001,000,000980,000960,000940,000920,000900,000Total Metropolitan Nonfarm Employment, Seasonally Adjusted◆ ◆ ◆ ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆ ◆◆◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆◆ ◆ ◆◆ ◆ ◆◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆◆ ◆ ◆◆ ◆ ◆ ◆◆◆◆880,0002001M01 2002M01 2003M01 2004M01 2005M01 2006M01Source: Oregon Employment Departmentchanging economy◆ ◆ ◆◆◆◆ ◆◆10City of Portland Bureau of Planning, “Portland Present,” January 2004.11Ibid.12US Census Bureau, 2005 American Community Survey.13 See Portland Development Commission’s Portland Praises web page:http://www.pdc.us/bus_serv/praises/default.aspexpect change33

changing economyPortland has a diverse economy.Small businesses (fewer than 50employees) make up over 40% ofthe jobs within Portland city limits 14 .The Portland region has a largenumber of nonprofit organizations –2,740 at last count – which employover 73,000 people, or 9% of thePortland regional workforce 15 . Ofthese, 14% of nonprofit employersare in the health services sector,employing about half of nonprofitworkers.Portland as a region has developedmany business clusters that attractincome from outside the region. Creative services,high-tech products, metal products, foodprocessing and many more make up our tradedsector industries. In addition to drawing workforcetalent, Portland’s role as a West Coast tradegateway for marine, rail and air transportation hashelped to drive the development of its industryclusters. These companies provide somewherebetween one-quarter to one-third of theeconomic activity and employment in the region.There is general agreement that encouragingexisting and emerging clusters will strengthen anddiversify the region’s economy.Economic ChallengesThis diversity and livability does not always translate into successfulemployment for all segments of society. In 2000, Portland’s medianhousehold income ranked 32nd among the 100 largest US cities,experiencing substantial growth in the 1990s. Portland’s povertyrate also declined in the 1990s and was significantly below thatof most large US cities. The recession earlier this decade reversedsome of that progress.• While unemployment in the region has decreased from its highof 8.3% during 2003 to around 5% in 2007, the rate is stillabove the nation as a whole (4.6% in August 2007).• Median incomes have largely remained flat since 2001, whilethe poverty rates have increased, sometimes sharply 16 .• In 2005, 17.4% of individuals in Multnomah County werebelow the federal poverty line, up from 12.7% in 2000. ForPortland, the numbers were similar: 17.8% in 2005, up from13.1% in 2000.• The poverty line in 2007 is about $20,000 for a family of four.Growing housing, food and health care costs create greatereconomic challenges for Portland area families and individuals, andwill likely continue to do so into the future.14 City of Portland Bureau of Planning15Facts on nonprofits from www.OregonInvolved.org16Institutute of Portland Metropolitan Studies, “Metropolitan Briefing Book 2007,”pp24-25.34 34expect change

peak oilThe term “peak oil” refers to the concept that oil and natural gas arelimited resources and that we will inevitably pass the peak of oil andnatural gas production in the world. Without careful preparation,the resulting steep price increases could be extremely disruptive,and individuals and businesses alike will be compelled to retool oureconomies and societies around new realities.The City of Portland was one of the first cities to recognize the needto prepare for such a transition, establishing a Peak Oil Task Force 17which presented its report, “Descending the Oil Peak: Navigatingthe Transition from Oil and Natural Gas,” to Portland City Council inMarch 2007.Gasoline Sales and Expenditures (Multnomah County)$700350The report anticipates that, regardless of exactlywhen the peak oil phenomenon occurs, there willbe dramatic consequences to our status quo:• Transportation impacts will be large, both onindividuals and freight. Individuals will feeleconomic pressure to shift to carpooling,more energy-efficient cars, walking or biking.Freight may shift from air and trucks to moreshipping and rail. More densely populated cityand town centers may facilitate transportationsolutions.• Higher prices for oil and natural gas will leadto higher food prices and less diversity inaffordable food.millions of dollars$600$500$400$300$200$10030025020015010050number of gallons sold• Volatility in international markets will impactPortland’s industries that are reliant on globalcapital. Some sectors, like Portland’s growingclean energy industry, may gain demand.• Social services in the region, alreadystretched thin, will likely be in higher demand, as peoplefind it harder to make ends meet while paying more fortransportation, health care, food, housing, heating andother basic needs.01990 1995 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006Source: Peak oil task force report (figure 2)Gasoline expenditures (constant 2006$)Gallons sold0As peak oil gains prominence and begins to intersect withother trends facing our region, many of the choices that thecommunity expressed to visionPDX to be preferable will alsosupport addressing and preparing for this transition.17 The Peak Oil Task Force report is available at http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=145732.expect change35

global warmingOver the past 100 years, the changing globalclimate has shrunk the glaciers on Mt. Hood bymore than one-third. But melting ice on Portland’smountain icon is just the most visible ofthe impacts of global warming. The changingclimate will impact Portland's future broadlyand deeply. It means dramatic changes here inPortland and the foundations of the Northwest:our forests, rivers, fish, farms and coast.Since 1900 the Pacific Northwest has warmedby 1.5° F. In the next century, the warming isexpected to accelerate and increase by about1° F every 10 years 18 . The last time this region'sclimate changed so dramatically was the IceAge, when glacial ice sheets covered muchof the Northwest. This time, fueled by vastquantities of human-caused carbon pollution,the climate is changing much faster.Scientists expect that the Northwest willexperience more warming in summer than inwinter, and nights will cool off less than theydo today. In addition, increased urbanization,population growth and related roads androoftops will exacerbate the urban heat island,increasing temperatures even more.Changes in the water cycle are equallyimportant, with winters expected to be wetterand summers drier. This, coupled with highertemperatures, may mean higher streamflowsin the spring, when water is already abundant,and lower flows in the summer, when surfacewater flows are badly needed for irrigation,drinking water, hydropower and salmon. Thetrend will be toward increased use and relianceon groundwater sources.Forests, a cornerstone of Portland’s economyand environment, are particularly vulnerable toclimate change. The greatest threats to foresthealth include drought, fire, pests, and disease,and climate change is expected to increase all ofthese. Oregon’s beaches, too, are threatened byrising sea levels and stronger storms, and coastalflooding and erosion will increase.Portland will also experience significant changesas a result of the response to global warming.Fortunately, many of the local solutions to climatechange offer substantial community benefits andcan provide jobs as well as improve personal health.Reducing use of the fossil fuels that cause climatechange – primarily gasoline, diesel, natural gas andelectricity from coal and natural gas – also reducesMt. Hood August 1984 (above) and late summer 2003 (below).Photos ©Gary Braasch From his book: Earth Under Fire; How Global Warming is Changingthe World (University of California Press, September 2007)18University of Washington Climate Impacts Group(http://www.cses.washington.edu/cig/).36 36expect change

global warmingthe economic drain of paying for these fuels and improves thebottom line for businesses and for household budgets. Renewableenergy resources like wind and solar power offer tremendouseconomic development potential, and strategies like addinginsulation and upgrading windows simply make good economicsense. On the transportation front, increasing walking, bicyclingand transit use has the added benefit of improving personal healthand air quality, while keeping dollars in the local economy.Climate change presents enormous challenges, both globally andhere in Portland. However, Portland is an innovator in developingsolutions and was the first city in the United States to adopta climate-protection plan almost 15 years ago. As the worldmobilizes to respond to climate change, Portland is positionedto lead the way in minimizing carbon emissions, reducing thedisruptions caused by global climate change and making ourcommunity healthier, stronger and more vibrant.400 Thousand Years of Atmospheric Carbon DioxideConcentration and Temperature Change400CO 2 concentration(from Antarctic Ice Cores)Current LevelCO 2 concentration fromMauna Loa Observations &Antarctic Ice Cores1800 ADLevel350300250Carbon dioxide (ppmv)120%100%80%Greenhouse Gas Emissions TrendUnited StatesMultnomah Co.✱Portland’s 2010 goal: 10%below 1990 levelsTemperatureChange (ºC)20-2-4-6-8-10TemperatureChange (ºC)(from Antarctic Ice Cores)200Percent of 1990 level60%40%20%0Emissions level required tostabilize the climate✱400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0Thousands of years BP( before present)1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 3040 2050Data Source CO 2. ftp://cdiac.cml.gov/pub/trends/co2/vostok.icecore.co2Data Source Temp: http://cdiac.esd.oml.gov/ftp/trends/temp/vostok/vostok.1999.temp.datGraphic: Michael Ernst, The Woods Hole Research Centerexpect change37

community challengesPhoto by Thomas Le NgoThe 21,000 pages of comments we gathered fromPortlanders did not always give us a clear picture oran answer to how we should approach our future.In many cases, the public was divided on howto address problems. Sometimes, the majorityof people agreed with one course of action,but a small but vocal minority had a differentperspective. On other issues, Portlandersappeared to be more evenly split on particularsolutions to problems. Some of the challengesbelow come from an understanding of thecommunity’s values as well as the trends thatour community faces.These challenges represent many of thosetensions on issues that require more thought,more conversation and more information.?How will weensure accessibleand convenienttransportationoptions for allwhile promotingsustainability?Many Portland residents value the city’s diversetransportation options not only because they areaccessible and convenient, but also because they allowus to live with fewer environmental impacts. There is a strongcommitment to promote public transit, bicycles and walking as moresustainable transportation choices. However, some also would prefermore investment in roads, highways and parking to move people andfreight into and out of our city. In the face of population growthand development, we face a challenge to meet all transportationneeds sufficiently and sustainably.?How will we balancediverse needs, interests andcommunity values as we makechoices regardingdevelopment?Recent large-scale developments in the Pearl District and SouthWaterfront neighborhoods have caused some to wonder whetherthese publicly-subsidized projects are benefiting all Portlandresidents. Likewise, infill development, which has often beenseen as being out of character with surrounding buildings,has raised concerns from neighbors. How should we balancediverse community needs and interests to plan for the kinds ofcommunities we want??How will we encourageequitable communityreinvestment while promotingeconomic opportunity?Portlanders share a belief that corporations should be taxedequitably to support community services, but some feel that taxeson businesses, especially small businesses, are already too high.What is a business-friendly environment, and how will we provideit while protecting and enhancing our communities?38community challenges

?How will we integratesustainable practices into allbusinesses?Portlanders want our businesses to embody environmentalsustainability both for local benefit, as a model for the rest of thecountry and as one of Portland’s traded sector businesses. Someof us feel that, to accomplish this, Portland’s economy should havea primarily local orientation, while others believe that sustainabilitycan be integrated into all businesses, even those that operate at theregional and global scales. The challenge will be to help businessesalign their practices with the values that many Portlanders sharewhile supporting their engagement with national and internationalmarkets. This is especially pertinent to the traded sector, which bydefinition brings income into our economy from outside the localenvironment.?How will we pay for theeducational system that ourcommunity needs and deserveswhile ensuring efficiency andaccountability?We understand that the success of our educational system is vitallyimportant to our community and the future of its people. We valueneighborhood schools and want our schools to be gathering placesin our communities, and we see a strong connection betweeneducation and our economy. Many Portlanders, however, believethat the schools need more money to provide the level of servicewe want, whereas some believe that current funding levels shouldbe adequate if only waste were reduced. How can we addressour state school funding system as well as pursue efficiency andaccountability so that our educational system excels and supportsour children and communities??What is ourresponsibility toprovide choice withinour educationalsystem?Portlanders believe we need a highly inclusiveapproach that ensures ample opportunities forall children to a broad-based, rich educationalexperience. Some Portlanders favor providing morechoice in the educational system, including giftedprograms and charter and magnet schools. Somebelieve the focus for public dollars should be onensuring that all students, especially the lowincome,minority and English language learnersare given equitable access to education in publicschools.?How will we addressthe pressures ofgrowth whileenhancinglivability?Projected growth and the resultingdevelopment in our region will requirecreative solutions for protecting thecharacteristics we value about Portland,including protection of our naturalresources, local businesses, uniqueneighborhood character and small-towncommunity feel.Photo by Thomas Le Ngocommunity challenges39 39

?How will we providepublic funding fairlyso that all Portlandershave access to thebasic environmentalamenities?Portlanders value our community’s parks,greenspaces, access to nature and ourenvironmentalism. A primary challenge in thecoming years will be to overcome current disparitiesto ensure that all residents have access to publicresources such as greenspaces, walking and bikepaths, public transportation, community gardensand locally grown, healthful food so that each of us,regardless of location, can choose to live with lessenvironmental impact.?How will we createefficiency in localgovernment whilehonoring Portlanders’desire for meaningfulinvolvement indecision-making?Portlanders highly value and are known for their ability to “make adifference” in their communities and in government. Encouraginginclusive and authentic civic engagement can require a significantinvestment of money and time, which some see as competing withgovernment’s ability to carry out its basic functions.?How will a diverse Portlandovercome the discriminationfaced daily by some membersof our community?Building bridges among communities is important to Portlanders.Portland feels welcoming to many individuals and groups, whocelebrate its diversity and open-mindedness. Some Portlanders,however, experience covert or overt discrimination in the formsof classism, racism, ableism, and other “isms.” How do we movebeyond eliminating social and physical discrimination, to embodyingour values of diversity and inclusion??How will we ensure people’sbasic needs are met?Most people agree that we have an obligation to providebasic needs to those who cannot meet their own needs.While Portlanders recognize that many in the community don’thave adequate access to basic services (food, shelter, and healthcare) and that social service organizations are challenged to meetdemand, opinions differ on the question of who pays and for what.Some prefer to look to government to provide services while othersfeel the business community, nonprofits, individuals, faith-basedgroups and others should play a larger role.40community challenges

visionPDX–how did we get here?Throughout the project, visionPDX staff and volunteers haveworked hard to model and practice community governance,ensuring that the process is truly led and driven by those whom thevision will impact. Responsiveness to community needs has beenof utmost importance. This value has shaped our structure, processand timeline.visionPDX Committee StructureSelection ProcessAlthough visionPDX was sponsored by the City of Portland, it wasguided by a volunteer Vision Committee. The Vision Committeewas chosen through an application process which was widelyadvertised and shared among nonprofit, neighborhood, businessand other networks, through email, mail and by phone.Over 120 people applied, expressing their definitions for successwith the visioning project, why Portland is special to them, and howtheir background and experience contributed to perspectives theywould bring to the committee.The applications were reviewed for diversity in age, time in Portland,professional experience, cultural background, geographical location,interests and more. Mayor Potter was committed to having peoplewith a broad range of perspectives on the committee. Membersincluded those with years of experience in government processes, aswell as those new to working with the City.After selections were chosen from the pool of applicants,the Mayor’s office sought several additional people based onrecommendations from other Commissioners and to fill gaps inrepresentation.In the end, 57 people were chosen to be on the visionPDXCommittee. The group was made up of business people, artists,educators, neighborhood advocates and more.While these individuals were representative ofPortland, they were asked to serve as individualsrather than representing particular organizationsor perspectives. This enabled Vision Committeemembers to bring their whole selves and multipleperspectives to the group.Committee LeadershipSoon after the initial Vision Committee meeting, themembers split into six subcommittees. These groupseach had a staff contact and a lead volunteer.These subcommittees largely determined what thevisionPDX outreach period would look like.• Engagement Subcommittee: establishedcore values and goals for engagment work.• Grants Subcommittee: determined processfor grant selection; reviewed and selectedgrants for outreach phase.• Analysis Subcommittee: developed thesurvey tool and the data analysis process.• Communications Subcommittee:designed logo and communications plan.• Speakers Bureau Subcommittee:wrote facilitator’s handbook and trainedvolunteers for Speakers Bureau.• Research Subcommittee: researchedand compiled community trendsinformation.Photo by Thomas Le NgoTop: Staff member Cassie Cohen and VisionCommittee member Nickole Cheron review thefinal vision document.Bottom: Vision Committee members gather forfood and discussion at a monthly meeting.vision pdx: how did we get here?41

Photo by Thomas Le NgoTop: A woman fills out avisionPDX questionnaire.Bottom: Grant recipients andparticipants applaud at agrantee reunion event.In addition to subcommittee meetings and tasks, thelarger Vision Committee continued to meet monthlyto share progress, get input on individual projectsand make decisions collectively to guide thevisioning process.Beyond this, many of the Vision Committeemembers were active participants in all phasesof the data review and analysis, and thedrafting of the vision statement, determiningthe community’s core values, and developingthe five elements of the city.Furthermore, the chairs of the subcommitteesformed the Executive Committee, and thissmaller body met bi-weekly throughout theprocess to make strategic project decisions andprovide leadership on communications withthe media and commissioners.Impact on ProjectWhile giving such a large body decisionmakingpower over a project can be anunweildy and slow process, the benefits havebeen clear:• Vision Committee members ensured that our processwas inclusive, and that the goal of reaching underservedpopulations was met through diverse outreach strategies.• Vision Committee members ensured that the grantsprogram criteria were weighted towards programs that werecreative, targeted to underserved groups, and demonstratedknowledge and expertise with the community proposedto be engaged. These priorities led to a unique group ofgrant recipients whose impact on the visioning process wasenormous.• In developing both the survey tool and the data analysisprocess, visionPDX chose to use qualitative analysis to evaluateand process the data. This decision helped us value thepeople behind the responses. The qualitative approach gavea richness and depth of data that would not have arisen witha quantitative, multiple choice survey or analysis that simplycounted the number of times particular words were written.visionPDX ProcessvisionPDX was designed to be an open, inclusive process. To thatend, the committee adopted three guiding values for the outreachprocess:1. Create ownership, over simply creating “buy-in.”2. Start from where people are in terms of readiness for theengagement activity.3. Tailor the engagement to what best speaks to the targetedaudience.To honor these values, outreach projects both in the grant-fundedprograms and the Vision Committee work explored methods andprocesses that were creative, that built on existing communityknowledge and relationships, and that reached out to diversepopulations.Engagement and Stakeholder InterviewsWhile planning for the engagement phase, several volunteers feltstrongly that many communities would not want to take a surveyor hold a discussion group on these topics right away, without aformer relationship having been established.Instead, having honest conversations first about what thesecommunities were already doing in engagement, what workedand what didn’t work well, and how to best reach out to their42visionpdx: how did we get here?

visionPDX QuestionnaireHelp us shape Portland’s future - we want to hear from you!Top: Young Korean Americansmeet for a visionPDX socialhour. Bottom: Graphicfacilitation at a World Cafécaptures the conversationand ideas of The Arcmembers.In order to be truly inclusive, visionPDX worked totranslate the questionnaire into as many languagesas possible. Working with volunteers, partnerorganizations and grant recipients, visionPDXwas able to publish its questionnaire in: Arabic,Cambodian, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified),English, Korean, Lao, Russian, Spanish andVietnamese. These translations were used to gatherhundreds of surveys in different communities; almost12% of the visionPDX respondents have a nativelanguage other than English.GrantsThe visionPDX grants program, which comprised a largeportion of our overall engagement effort, funded non-profitand neighborhood community outreach programs to conductinformation gathering. Led by Vision Committee volunteers, theGrants Subcommittee allocated $250,000 in grants, and chose 29organizations from 143 applications. The project term was Aprilthrough September 2006.Community grants supported organizations’ ability to talk topeople they knew best: people in their neighborhoods, clientsand community partners, to name a few. Community-basedorganizations were trusted to implement strategies appropriate forthe target populations they identified.The three overarching goals of the grants programs were todistribute the funds to organizations to:• Reach people throughout the City of Portland;• Reach out to diverse populations; and• Engage the public through creative outreach strategies.The grants have had long-lasting impact in many of thecommunities in which they were carried out. Organizations learnedmore about their constituents, and are using this information toplan programming more strategically. Partnerships have beenformed among grant recipients. Participants and volunteers havelearned leadership and organizing skills, and have gone on to usetheir voice on other community projects.44visionpdx: how did we get here?

The grants process is widely seen to have successfully establishedrelationships with communities that have been difficult forgovernment to reach.See the visionPDX Engagement Report for more detailedinformation on what we learned from this grants process.Mid-Course CorrectionWhile visionPDX did not set out to conduct a scientifically rigoroussurvey, Vision Committee members wanted to reach a fair crosssectionof the Portland population. To ensure that we were meetingthis goal before the end of our outreach period, we worked withour consultant, the PSU Survey Research Lab, to analyze thedemographic information on the surveys we had submitted throughJuly 2006.We presented the demographic information at a public meeting inAugust 2006 attended by Vision Committee members, volunteers,and several grant representatives. This group had an openconversation about the gaps in the data collection, and brainstormedways to close the gaps before the end of the outreach period.What the demographic analysis told us was that while wewere hitting many of our targets in terms of reaching minorityand underrepresented groups proportionally to those groups’population, there were several holes. Looking at demographicsand a zip code analysis, it was determined that, compared toCensus figures on population proportions, we were coming upshort in reaching out to youth, elders and East Portlanders. Wealso determined that grant recipients’ outreach was forming themajority of our survey responses.Three actions came out of this meeting:• A number of youth in East Portland were given stipends tocollect surveys from peers.• A partnership was formed between visionPDX, granteeBroadArts Theatre, and Marshall High School, to fundraisefor BroadArts to perform their vision-funded musical “IfI Were the Queen of This Forest,” to an audience of theentire Renaissance Arts Academy student body. Classroomdiscussions on visioning and civic engagement, as well assurvey completion, were part of the partnership.• Finally, the outreach phase was extended by an additionalmonth to ensure that these strategies were given time towork, and also to allow visionPDX to ramp up an online surveytool to engage the general public more broadly.This open evaluation process and subsequent actions includingextending the outreach phase demonstrates the project’swillingness to learn from experience and respond to newinformation quickly.Data AnalysisThe surveys from the 2006 outreach phase were primarily collectedby community groups and volunteers. The first challenge wasto enter all 13,000 survey responses, plus additional notes fromdozens of small group discussions, into an electronic format thatcould be coded and organized.While some grant recipients were able to enter their own data,many others were overwhelmed at the task of not only collectingthe data from their communities, but also typing in questionnaireswith often long, detailed responses to the open-ended questions.visionPDX had expected the grant recipients to manage their owndata entry, but it became clear that other arrangements wouldneed to be made.A member of the Arc of Multnomah-Clackamasdemonstrates accessibility features at CityHall during a visionPDX event.community inputsummaryIn a separate report, visionPDXshares detailed analysis of the21,000+ pages of comments fromthe community. A roughly 90-page summary is available on thevisionPDX website. The completereport is forthcoming. Included inthe report:1. Summaries of values andmain ideas in nine topic areas2. Detailed description of thedata collection and analysisprocesses.Visit www.visionPDX.comvisionpdx: how did we get here?45 45

After looking for an affordable consultant and findingnone, an innovative partnership was formed with a localPortland Job Corps site. PIVOT (Partners in VocationalOpportunities Training) proved to be a perfect match– visionPDX was able to get support in enteringthousands of questionnaires, and PIVOT studentsgained typing experience, exposure to new ideasabout their hometown, a visit from the Mayor andan opportunity to testify in front of City Council.Once the surveys were all entered electronically,visionPDX partnered with Portland StateUniversity’s Survey Research Lab to organizethe data from the surveys. The consultantteam read all responses and coded themfor content. This enabled the data to beeasily organized into nine major topicareas: Economy, Education, Environment,Government, Public Health, Public Safety,Social Issues, Transportation and UrbanLivability.Once all of the data was coded andcategorized, the Data Analysis Work Group(DAWG), a group of 35 volunteers, read,analyzed and summarized all of the communityinput. The project emphasized staying trueto the data by ensuring that all perspectivesvoiced by the community weredocumented. At least two peopleread each and every comment,and the teams worked together to drawTop: Notes from a visionPDX conclusions about what they had read.discussion are captured in Spanish.Bottom: Drafting Committeemembers discuss Economic Portland.Staff took the notes on main ideas, community values and tensionsin the data and created a summary of all nine topic areas whichwas used in the next phase.More information on this process can be found in the CommunityInput Summary (see sidebar page 45 and download fromwww.visionPDX.com).Vision CreationAfter the data was read and analyzed by the Data AnalysisWork Group, another group of volunteers formed the DraftingCommittee and wrote draft statements to reflect the summarizeddata.The creation of these statements occurred through many hoursof large and small group discussions and multiple written drafts.The evolving product went through extensive internal review andediting with the Vision Committee. Slowly, the model of the vision,values and five elements began to emerge.Then, the draft statements were taken back to the community in asecond outreach phase. See the visionPDX Engagement Report formore information on this check-in with the community.Binders filled with responses to visionPDXquestionnaire – over 21,000 pages of comments!46visionpdx: how did we get here?

visionPDX TimelineFlexibility was an important and useful lesson for the visionPDX team. As described above, the initialengagement phase was extended by one month to ensure that the outreach would be thorough andwould reach intended audiences.Data Analysis ProcessAnother revision to the timeline was required once the data was coded and returned from PSU’s SurveyResearch Lab. The 21,000+ pages of data were understandably daunting to the 35 Data Analysis WorkGroup members, and the process that was initially thought to take two weeks before the holidayseason in December 2006 was extended through January.The timeline revision was required in order to allow our volunteers to spend additional hours reviewingwhat they had read, and ensuring that the volunteers had ample time to come together again andagree as a group on community values and tension points or disagreements in the data.In the end, this process was one of the most rewarding for many of the Vision Committee membersand volunteers, because they were allowed to be stewards of a rich community input process, and theanalysis process itself was flexible enough to keep the focus where it needed to be—on the peoplewho had taken the time to weigh in on Portland’s vision for the future.Community Check-inThroughout our outreach work, we heard many groups and individuals tell us that the shortconversation to fill out a survey was not good enough to truly involve people and get them committedto a project. People told us time and again that long-term relationships and continued consultation andinvolvement were the real first steps to community governance.In response, visionPDX committed to come back out to the community before we took the vision toCity Council. Initially, the outreach phase was envisioned to last only two weeks. We had learned fromthe outreach in 2006 that interactive discussions are the most rewarding for people, and also give riseto informative data.visionPDX staff and volunteers held seven open houses at neighborhood coalition offices and 26small group discussions with community organizations’ members, staffs and boards. Because of theData Analysis - Demographics65% reported working in Portland82% reported living in PortlandHow long have you lived in Portland? N PercentOver 20 years 3,150 25.6%11-20 years 2,283 18.5%8-10 years 1,680 13.6%1-5 years 1,674 13.6%Less than 1 year 645 5.2%Not applicable or missing 2,883 23.4%Total 12,315 100.0%Data Analysis - Demographics80.3% reported that English is their first languageFirst language - not English N PercentSpanish 632 5.1%Russian 130 1.1%Korean 108 0.9%Arabic 75 0.6%Chinese 56 0.5%Vietnamese 49 0.4%Other 387 3.1%Total first language not English 1,437 11.7%English first language or missing 10,878 88.3%Total 12,315 100.0%visionpdx: how did we get here?47 47

30%25%20%15%10%5%0%Educational Attainmentvision PDXCensusongoing interest in connecting with visionPDX, the engagement period was extended totwo months. This flexibility allowed us to build relationships with many more organizationsand agencies than our short timeline would have allowed, and increased interest in andownership of our product.ResultsThrough our outreach in 2006, visionPDX received over 13,000 completed surveys anddiscussion notes from over 75 small group discussions. We estimate that over 15,000 peopletook part in visionPDX during our main engagement phase in April - September 2006.No GED or HSdiplomaHS diploma orGEDSome collegeAsspcoatesdegreeBachelor’sdegreeHighest level of education attainedGraduatedegreeOtherAnother 2,000 or more have been involved in the project through the community check-inthis past spring and summer 2007, the series of Sojourn Theatre performances in the fallof 2006 and in our preliminary outreach work in the summer and fall of 2005. This largenumber of people rivals the most extensive visioning outreach projects in North America 20 ,and has raised the bar in Portland for truly bringing new voices to the table.100 %90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%0%Race/Ethnicity of visionPDX Respondents, 200610.4% 6.2% 5.5% 7.5% 7.6% 8.4% 5.2% 0.9%AfricanAmericanor BlackEast SE Asianor PacificIslandervisionPDXCensusLatino orHispanicNativeAmerican orAlaska Native62% 79.5%Caucasianor WhiteRespondents could select more than one race/ethnicity. Census data from theAmerican Community Survey 2005.4.9% 1.9%OtherRacesFor the 15,000 who connected with us during our 2006 outreach work, over 13,000 ofthem filled out all or part of the demographics portion of our questionnaire.We also asked people whether they had filled out the survey in the past. If they said yes,their demographic information was not included in the analysis presented here. So out of atotal of around 15,000 participants, we are able to report on the demographics of 12,315respondents.Who were the people we talked to?• About 57% were female, and 42.3 male, and 0.8% identified as transgender.• Eighty-two percent of respondents live in Portland (all zip codes) and 65% worked inPortland.• About 44% have lived in Portland 11 years or longer, while about 18% moved herewithin the past five years.20 The City of Calgary, Alberta, with a population of over 1 million, reached 18,000 people in its imagineCalgaryprocess in 2006, and Envision Central Texas engaged 15,000 people between 2002 and 2004, 12,500through a mail survey.48visionpdx: how did we get here?

• Almost 12% spoke English as a second (or third) language.• Respondents tended to have reached a higher educational level than the Portlandpopulation as a whole. This was especially noticeable when comparing the percentage ofrespondents with a graduate degree or higher (21.6%) with the percentage in the generalPortland population (10.8%). On several of the other educational categories, the visionPDXresults matched closely to the Census data.• Of those respondents who answered the sexual orientation question, over 12% identifiedas gay, lesbian or bisexual. An additional 3.3% identified as “other,” with variousresponses recorded in the space provided. A larger proportion (22.5%) left this questionblank than others.• visionPDX respondents represented a smaller percentage of whites/Caucasians thanthe Portland population as a whole has. The demographics indicate that visionPDX wasactually able to oversample both the African American and the Native American/AlaskaNative communities, which has been challenging both for the Census and for marketresearch polling methods.More information aboutwho visionPDX engagedwill be available at www.visionPDX.com, both inthe Community InputSummary and in the finalreport from the PortlandState University SurveyResearch Lab.Data analysis - DemographicsRespondent age N vPDX CensusUnder 18 years 1,153 10.4%29.7% total18-24 years 1,181 10.6%25-34 years 2,620 23.6% 17.5%35-44 years 2,259 20.3% 16.4%45-53 years 2,806 25.2% 22.2%60 years or older 1,101 9.9% 14.2%Total 11,120 100.0% 100.0%1,195 additional people did not respond to this question. Census data from the AmericanCommunity Survey, 2005.Data analysis - DemographicsSexual orientation N vPDX CensusHeterosexual 8,043 84.3% not availableGay 380 4%]Lesbian 386 4% 8.8%Bisexual 418 4.4%Other 317 3.3% not availableBanner for aneighborhood T-Horsegathering, organizedby City Repair throughtheir visionPDX grant.Total 9,544 100.0%An additional 2,771 people (22.5%) did not answer this question. Census data from the American CommunitySurvey 2005.visionpdx: how did we get here?49 49

next step: the portland planPortland has a long and successful tradition of shapingits future through thoughtful planning and deliberativeaction. Today, Portland is regarded by its residents andvisitors as a highly livable and vital city, a place which hasbuilt upon its distinct character and personality to attractand manage new energy and growth.Our core plans no longer give adequate guidance toimplementers about how and where to make the nextround of significant new investments in infrastructure andprograms. There are significant new challenges—andopportunities—facing Portland in the coming decades thatour most important plans did not contemplate, such as growth inpopulation and employment, global climate change, the changingmake up of Portland’s people, present and growing social andeconomic inequalities and decreasing public sector resourcesand faith in government.The Portland tradition has been to wrestle with the mostimportant issues of the day and create a future by intentionalthought and action, drawing on many stakeholders in to plancollectively and forming needed partnerships to take these plansinto action. The Portland Plan will do just that for our generation,drawing together the community, business and agency partners,elected leaders and bureaus in short and long term actions.Together, we will address the most pressing issues facing ourcommunity today, articulate the fundamental aspirations of ourresidents about the future and set out actions to be taken torealize our dreams and meet our challenges.Grounded in the values and findings of visonPDX,the Portland Plan will serve to guide the growth anddevelopment of Portland over the next 30 years. It willserve as Portland’s updated Comprehensive Plan andinclude updates to the city’s Central City Plan, City-wideEconomic Development Strategy, and Sustainability/GlobalWarming policies. It will make use of the broad outreachand engagement generation in the visionPDX process andwill continue to involve the public around policy choices andstrategies.Fishbowl discussion at IRCO Open House50 50next step: the portland plan

Portland City CouncilMayor Tom Potter,Commissioner-in-ChargeSam AdamsRandy LeonardDan SaltzmanErik StenvisionPDX CommitteeFull ProjectMarvin Kaiser, Co-ChairSheila Martin, Co-ChairShahriar AhmedFelicia Allender-BrantPippa ArendTed AustinDon BaackMonica BeemerBrenna BellSharon BernsteinRex BurkholderTom Campbell-SchmittCharla ChamberlainNickole CheronMara CogswellMike CrebsPietro FerrariX-tian GuntherDavid KnappSandra KremersJensine LarsonCarole MorseThomas NgoJenna PadburyBina PatelMeryl RedischJim ReynoldsPeter SchoonmakerJudy Bluehorse SkeltonZeke SmithPedro SosaKeith ThomajanChristine WhiteRhone WilliamsGill WilliamsJoe WykowskiTime LimitedKaranja CrewsEleza FaisonLise GlancySamira GodilVanessa GastonAlice GustafsonLane HickeyPaul HillSuenn HoDaniel IsaakMark KemballAdas LisJustin MyersKate MytronRêmi Irène OgoumaGeorgia OrtizGreg PearlmanMolly RaphaelTeresa RíosAlan SanchezNancy WeedExecutive CommitteeMarvin Kaiser, Co-ChairSheila Martin, Co-ChairSharon BernsteinEleza Faison*Paul Hill*Mark Kemball*Carole MorseJustin Meyers*Bina Patel*Jim Reynolds*Zeke SmithKeith Thomajan* Limited time of servicePortland Bureau of PlanningGil Kelley, Planning DirectorSteve Dotterrer, Principal PlannervisionPDX Project StaffProject LeadershipMarie JohnsonPlanning Phase, 1/2005 - 9/2005Liesl WendtEngagement Phase, 10/2005 - 1/2007Sonali S. Balajee and Juan Carlos OcañaAnalysis and Drafting Phase, 1/2007 - 7/2007Stephanie D. StephensWrap-Up and Action Phase, 7/2007 - presentacknowledgementsKey StaffSonali S. BalajeeBronwyn BuckleMauricio Leclerc (Year 1)Juan Carlos OcañaAmanda RhoadsStaff On Loan During 2006Engagement PhaseMatt Emlen, Office of Sustainable DevelopmentBob MacKay, Auditor’s OfficeScott Stewart, Auditor’s OfficeSupport StaffJared Anderson (12/2005 - 6/2007)Cassie Cohen (7/2007 - present)Community Service AidesNicole Lewis (2005)San Nguyen (2005)Dan Pauly (2007)Jonathon Pierce (2006)visionPDX 2006 Summer InternsPatrick ChristopherBenna GottfriedDawson MarchantMilton OrtegaJenifer SextonGraphic DesignerChristine Rainsacknowledgements51 51

Professional AssistanceDan Sherwood PhotographyDavis, Hibbitts, & Midghall, Inc.Decisions Decisions, Joe HertzbergFleishman-HillardMiles HochsteinTravis Huntingtonkeen creative, Anna MagruderMerrill Interactive, Nathanael MerrillMIG, Inc., Daniel IacofanoElizabeth H. MorenoPortland Community MediaPSU Survey Research Lab, Debi ElliottStaccato DesignSteven Ames Consulting, Steven C.AmesTechnical Assistance for CommunityServices, Cliff JonesTranslatorsGalina GrigoryanFayez I HjoujLinh HoangMauricio LeclercElena MinkovaThang C. NgoJuan Carlos OcañaOmar VargasJustine Yi-ChunInternational Language Bank, IRCOKorean American Citizens LeagueCenter for Intercultural OrganizingHacienda Community DevelopmentCorporationData Analysis Work Group (DAWG) CommitteeShahriar AhmedJared AndersonSonali BalajeeMonica BeemerBrenna BellSharon BernsteinCindy BethellBronwyn BuckleLaurel ButmanPenelope ByrdKaren CacyTom Campbell-SchmidtMara CogswellCassie CohenAnika CurryX-tian GuntherEmily HicksReilly HirstDrafting CommitteeBrenna BellJudy Bluehorse-SkeltonKaren CacySteve DotterrerX-tian GuntherMarvin KaiserSheila MartinElizabeth H. MorenoMichael RohdJenna PadburyBina PatelKaren WolfgangDaniel IsaakMarvin KaiserJack MacNicholSheila MartinElizabeth MorenoJuan Carlos OcañaGail OverstreetMeryl RedischAmanda RhoadsBrenda Ray ScottRick SeifertSally ShepardKathleen WaddenFran WeickLiesl WendtRhone WilliamsKaren WolfgangvisionPDX Grant RecipientsAfrican American Health CoalitionAlliance of Portland Neighborhood Business AssociationsArc of Multnomah-ClackamasAsian Reporter FoundationBroadArts Theatre, Inc.Center for Intercultural Organizing / Bridgetown VoicesCenter Neighborhood AssociationCity Repair ProjectElders in ActionEmergeFilm Action Oregon and Public Media WorksHacienda Community Development CorporationHands on PortlandHuman SolutionsImmigrant and Refugee Community OrganizationKorean American Citizens LeagueNative American Youth and Family CenterNeighbors West-Northwest Review Board, Inc.Oregon ActionOregon Chapter of the American Society of LandscapeArchitectsOregon Food BankPortland Public SchoolsQ Center/LGBTQ Community Center FundRecovery Association ProjectSabin Community Development CorporationSisters of the RoadSouthwest Neighborhoods, Inc.VOZ Worker’s Rights Education ProjectWell Arts Institute52acknowledgements

Additional Community AssistanceThese groups, their members and/or staff providedguidance to visionPDX on engagement barriers andopportunities for partnership.Albina Ministerial AllianceBlack United Fund of OregonCascade AIDS ProjectCentral Northeast NeighborsCity of GreshamCoalition for a Livable FutureCommunity Development NetworkDavid Douglas School DistrictDisability Engagement ForumEast Portland Neighborhood OfficeEcumenical Ministries of OregonEnterprise FoundationFriends of Portland Community GardensGirls Inc.HIV Day CenterLatino NetworkMetropolitan Alliance for a Common GoodMultnomah Youth CommissionNeighbors West/NorthwestNortheast Coalition of NeighborhoodsNew Avenues for YouthNorth Portland Neighborhood OfficeOregon Business CouncilOregon Council for Hispanic AdvancementOutside InParkrose School DistrictPortland Development CommissionPortland Peak Oil CommissionPortland State University, Masters in Urban & RegionalPlanning StudentsROSE Community Development CorporationSelf Enhancement, Inc.Sexual Minority Youth Resource CenterSlavic CoalitionSoutheast UpliftSouthwest Hills Residential LeagueSouthwest Neighborhood Inc.Sustainable Development CommissionvisionPDX PartnersA visionPDX partner denotes an organization that hasmade a significant donation, in-kind or otherwise, tovisionPDX.Ashforth PacificAshforth Pacific donated office space to visionPDXfor over a year. Based in Portland, Oregon, AshforthPacific, Inc. is an investor and developer of commercialoffice real estate and provides integrated propertymanagement and construction services.ComcastComcast showed the visionPDX Public ServiceAnnouncement on one of its stations in May, 2007 over300 times.PIVOT (Partners in Vocational OpportunityTraining) Job CorpsPIVOT students helped visionPDX with data entry onthousands of questionnaires. In return, students metwith the Mayor, spoke to City Council, and attendedthe annual State of the City address in 2007. Supportfrom Cindy Sorum, Employability Specialist; CarolynSchoenemann, Academic Instructor; and 27 studentvolunteers.Portland Community MediaPCM is working with visionPDX to create adocumentary of this once-in-a-generationprocess. They’ve dedicated countless hoursto capturing the work of our grantees andvolunteers. They’ve also produced several shortervideos for our use which are also available on ourwebsite.Sojourn TheatreSojourn and visionPDX teamed up for a year-longpartnership which culminated in the developmentof One Day, a performance about eight charactersin a day full of choices in our community. Thecollaboration, led by Artistic Director Michael Rohd,used research and data gathered by visionPDXand first-person interviews by Sojourn to createthis innovative performance piece. The show wasperformed 12 times around the city in Septemberand October 2006.Steps to SuccessSteps to Success participants provided data entrysupport to visionPDX for hundreds of surveys.Technical Assistance for Community ServicesTACS partnered with visionPDX in the planning of thevisionPDX grants program. TACS offered workshopson filling out the budget portion of the grantapplication and made technical assistance available togrant applicants.acknowledgements53 53

Visioning Capstone ClassStudents in Professor Chet Orloff’sPortland State University VisioningCapstone Class contributed to thevisionPDX outreach efforts and critiquedour process during the followingquarters:• Summer 2005• Fall 2005• Summer 2006• Spring 2007• Summer 2007Portland State University,Survey Research LabDebi Elliot, Project Team LeadChet Orloff, Project ConsultantAmber Johnson, Project ManagerAlisa Glembotski, Project ManagerDave Apple, Data CoordinatorTiffany Conklin, Report CoordinatorTara Horn, Report CoordinatorVicky Mazzone, Office SpecialistReid Baldwin, Data CoderDanielle Clegg, Data CoderZack Hathaway, Data CoderEric Larson, Data CoderMauri Matsuda, Data CoderCameron Mulder, Data CoderEva Rippeteau, Data CoderJessica Robb, Data CoderRachel Rustad, Data CoderCommunityVolunteersGregg AbbottMark AndersonRuth AndersonAzadGrace BaileyMargot BarnettEmily BartaAnnie BergelinAna BerryCindy BethellSylvia BogertDon BoghTyler BoothJack BoudreauGary BraaschJonathan BrandtNicole BreedloveEsther BrownSherry BubachJessica BucciarelliLaurel ButmanTony ChapinErica ChristensenKathleen CochronKelly CollerIsaac CookMichaela CoreyRobyn CornwellMelissa CrosnanRob CrouchSara CulpThomas DeCuirJeff DeissBill DeizLisa Dessen-OcañaJessica EspinozaAnneMarie FischerSarah FitzGeraldEmily FolzJeremy FrenchGil FreyJosh Romo GandyBenjamin GarveyEmily GottfriedMoira GreenRobert HamiltonJohn HarringtonLaurie HarrisRegina HauserJanet HawkinsBob HillierHousing Authority of Portland,Patsy NedrowMike JeleticErik Jensen, City of HillsboroSteve JohnsonJoanne KahnAlbert KaufmanKevin Kecskes, PSU Centerfor Academic ExcellenceLarry KirkhartFeroshia KnightCindy KoserKevin KrausAngela KyleClem LaufenbergVicki LindLynn Lindgren-SchruederSia Lindstrom, Vision ActionNetworkJean LongwillCarol LucasDon MacGillivrayGary MarschkeLeslie MartinsenTim McCoyJessica MettaJim NewcomerSarah NewlandsKim Oanh NguyenJohn NoelStephen OringdulphChet OrloffMelinda PittmanAlicia PolacokJulie PoustAaron RayErica RiceShelly RidderKenn RobertsPamela RooneyYvonne RosenRandi RosenfeldAnne RothertMeg RoweSharon RuggMonica RussellGoldann SalazarFrancesca SandersNancy SetonJosh ShamoonSally ShepardSara SiestreemKate Sokoloff, Live Wire RadioRoger SnyderJean StaehliTereasa StaleyNancy StitesDoug StricklerVirginia StromerNoelle StuderRachel StuderSharon SzolnokiYumiko TaharaJody TateNeil TCRobin TeaterSusan TingleyKim TravisPaul van OrdenAndrew WalkerStephanie WilmothPablo ZavallaMolly ZiglerZuzka Zilkova...and many more! Weapologize if we haveinadvertently left you off thelist.Also, our 29 community grantorganizations worked withcountless volunteers whodonated over 11,500 hoursof time to help visionPDXreach as many communitymembers as possible. Wedeeply appreciate theircommitment to authentic civicengagement.54acknowledgements

glossaryAction: A provision or task to implementadopted policies.Affordable Housing: The cost of housingas a percentage of household income.Housing is considered unaffordable whenhousing costs exceed a threshold percentage– nationally that standard rangesfrom 25 to 33 percent. Housing costsconsidered in this guideline generally includetaxes and insurance for owners, andsometimes include utility costs. When themonthly carrying costs of a home exceed30-35% of household income, then thehousing is considered unaffordable forthat household.Alignment: When everyone is workingtogether harmoniously as a unit towardthe same objective or purpose.Baseline: A baseline is a description ormeasure of the current state. It is thestarting point from which an organizationimproves.Benchmarking: Method of measuringperformance against establishedstandards of best practice.Bicycle Boulevard: Bicycle boulevardsare low-traffic neighborhood streets thathave been optimized for bicycling. Theyare a facility shared with motorists andidentified by signs and occasional pavementmarkings.Bikeways: A term that encompassesbicycle lanes, bicycle paths and bicycleboulevards.Built Environment: Refers to thehuman-created surroundings that providethe setting for human activity, rangingfrom large-scale civic districts, commercialand industrial buildings, to neighborhoodsand individual homes.Buy In: A state of mind that occurs whenan individual or group understands andcommits to a common goal or actionplan.Carbon Neutral: Being carbon neutralrefers to the practice of balancing carbondioxide released into the atmospherefrom burning fossil fuels, with renewableenergy that creates a similar amount ofuseful energy, so that the net carbonemissions are zero, or alternatively usingonly renewable energy.Centers: compact, mixed-use areas ofhigh-density housing, employment andretail that are pedestrian-oriented andwell served by public transportation androads. Centers are defined as the centralcity, regional centers, town centers, stationcommunities and main streets, as definedby Metro. Mixed-use centers in themetropolitan region include the centralcity (Portland), seven regional centers (thedowntown areas of Hillsboro, Beaverton,Oregon City and Gresham, as well as theClackamas Town Center, WashingtonSquare and Gateway shopping areas), 30town centers and numerous main streetsand station communities.Central City: Downtown Portland is thePortland area’s central city and serves asthe hub of business and cultural activity inthe region. It has the most intensive formof development for both housing andemployment, with high-rise developmentcommon in the central business district.City Beautiful Movement: The architecturaland town planning style of theearly 20th century that advocated thetreatment of a city as a work of art.Collaboration: Any cooperative effortbetween and among governmentalentities (as well as with private partners)through which the partners worktogether to achieve common goals.Such collaboration can range fromvery informal, ad hoc activities to moreplanned, organized and formalized waysof working together. They share a senseof public purpose, leverage resources toyield improved outcomes, and bridgetraditional geographic, institutional andfunctional boundaries.Community garden: Small plots of landrented by individuals from some organizationthat holds title or lease to the land.The City of Portland runs a CommunityGarden Program that includes 30 gardensites with over 1,000 plots.Compact urban communities: Urbanlocations which offer transportation,housing and shopping choices that reducethe need for automobile travel andsupport an efficient development pattern.Complete Street: Designed andoperated to ensure safety travel for allusers – pedestrians, cyclists, transit-ridersand motorists. Typically, complete streetsinclude sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanesand other features and amenities.Comprehensive Plan: A document thatidentifies that guides growth and developmentfor a local jurisdiction.Congestion: A condition characterizedby unstable traffic flows that createsstop-and-go movement on a transportationfacility. Nonrecurring congestion iscaused by actions such as special events,weather, and/or traffic accidents. Recurringcongestion is caused by problematicfacility design at a key location orconstant excess volume compared withcapacity.Conservation: The management of resources,such as water and energy, so asto eliminate waste or maximize efficiencyof use.Density: A measurement of the numberof people, dwelling units, or lots in rela-glossary55 55

tionship to a specified amount of land.Density is a measurement used generallyfor residential uses.Design Guidelines: A set of designparameters for development that applywithin a design district, subdistrict, oroverlay zone. The guidelines are adoptedpublic statements of intent and are usedto evaluate the acceptability of a project’sdesign.Development: Any physical alterationand/or improvements of land which leadsto subdivision of land; construction of anybuilding or structure; road development;installation of utilities; grading; mineralextraction; the deposit of refuse, debris,or fill materials; or the clearing of naturalvegetation cover with the exception ofagricultural activities and trails.Economic Development: A process toinfluence local economic conditions bystimulating private investment in existingand potential firms, thereby expanding anarea’s employment opportunities.Green Building (also, Green Design):Building design that yields environmentalbenefits, such as savings in energy, buildingmaterials, and water consumption, orreduced waste generation. Green developmentminimizes energy consumptionand minimizes pollution and the generationof wastes, while maximizing there-use of materials and creating healthfulindoor environments.Green Street: A street designed andconstructed to integrate a system ofstormwater management within its rightof way in order to reduce the amountof water that is piped directly to streamsand rivers. Green streets typically incorporategreen infrastructure, such as streettrees and landscaped amenity zones,both for aesthetics and to enhance theenvironment.Greenhouse Gas: Components of theatmosphere that contribute to globalwarming, including water vapor, carbondioxide, methane, nitrous oxide andozone. Human activities have added tothe levels of most of these naturally occurringgases.Greenspace: A term applied to openspaces in urban areas, including parks,preserves and public or private lands.Greywater: Domestic wastewater thatdoes not contain human wastes such astub, shower or washing machine waterthat is recycled especially for use ingardening or for flushing toilets.Groundwater: Water under the earth’ssurface, often confined to aquifers capableof supplying wells and springs.Growth Management: The use bya community of a variety of combinedtechniques to establish the amount,type and rate of growth desired by thecommunity and to channel that growthinto designated areas. Growth managementpolicies can be implementedthrough growth rates, zoning, capitalimprovement programs, public facilities,ordinances, urban growth boundaries andother programs.Habitat: The physical location or typeof environment in which an organism orbiological population lives or occurs.Historic Preservation: The process ofpreserving part of a community, from anindividual building or part of a buildingto a whole neighborhood (includingroadways and waterways), because of itshistorical importance.Household: All persons residing in asingle dwelling unit.Household Size: All of the persons whooccupy a housing unit.Ibid.: (Latin, short for “ibidem,” “thesame place”) is the term used to providean endnote or footnote citation or referencefor a source that was cited in theprevious endnote or footnote.Impervious Surface: Surface throughwhich water cannot penetrate, such asa roof, road, sidewalk or paved parkinglot. The amount of impervious surfaceincreases with development and establishesthe need for drainage facilities tocarry the increased run-off.Implementation: Actions, procedures,programs or techniques that carry outpolicies.Infill Development: Projects that usevacant or underutilized land in areas thatwere previously developed.Infrastructure: The physical systems andservices that support development andpeople, such as streets and highways,transit services, airports, water and sewersystems and the like.Initiative: An initiative is an activity thatsupports accomplishment of an objective.Light Rail Line: A public rail transit linethat usually operates at grade level andthat provides high capacity, regional leveltransit service. A light rail line is designedto share a street right-of-way although itmay also use a separate right-of-way oreasement.Mixed-Use: In land-use and transitplanning, generally refers to differentcompatible land uses located within asingle structure or in close proximity toeach other.Mobility: The ability to move about theregion from one location to another.56 56glossary

Mode: A particular form of travel (e.g.,walking, bicycling, driving alone, carpoolingor vanpooling, bus, train, ferry or airplane).Open Space: Any open land or otherspace (such as a river) which is predominatelylacking in structural development.Open Space includes natural areas,wetlands, open water, wildlife habitats,farmlands, grazing areas and park recreationareas.Passive Recreation: Recreation activitiesthat require limited physical exertionon behalf of the participant. Examplesinclude bird watching, walking orphotography.Pedestrian-Oriented Development:The development and siting of housing,commercial space, services, and jobopportunities in a manner that accommodateswalking. Such development isintended to create more vibrant urbanareas and to reduce dependency onautomobile travel.Program: An action, activity or strategycarried out in response to adopted policyto achieve a specific objective. Policiesand programs establish the “who,”“how,” and “when” for carrying outthe “what” and “where” of goals andobjectives.Public Art: works of art in any mediathat has been planned and executedwith the specific intention of being sitedor staged in the public domain, usuallyoutside and accessible to all.Public Services: Facilities and infrastructure,including sanitary and storm sewersystems, water supply, energy, telecommunications,public safety and emergencyservices, schools, libraries and otherfacilities.Recycling: The process by which wastematerials are collected and reused as“raw” materials for new products.Redevelopment: The restoration and/orimprovement of an existing structure orproperty.Social Capital: The value of social networksthat people can draw on to solvecommon problems. The benefits of socialcapital flow from the trust, reciprocity,information and cooperation associatedwith social networks.Solid Waste: A general category thatincludes garbage, trash, refuge, paper,ashes, metals, glass, plastics, constructiondebris, rock, soil, abandoned vehicles andmachine parts, discarded appliances, yardwastes, manure and other materials.Stakeholder: Those individuals, groups,and parties who either affect or are affectedby the organization, both internallyand externally. Stakeholders are involvedor consulted as part of the strategic planningprocess so that their views, needs,and concerns are given considerationduring the development of organizationalgoals, objectives and strategies. They mayalso provide input related to outcomemeasures.Stewardship: Taking responsibility foractions affecting the natural or builtenvironment. Positive stewardship demonstratesacceptance of this responsibilitythrough the continuous improvement ofenvironmental performance by individuals,communities, the private sector andgovernmental agencies.Strategic Plan: A strategic plan is adisciplined, coordinated, systematic, andsustained effort that enables an organizationto fulfill its mission and achieve itvision.Transit-Oriented Development: Thedevelopment of housing, commercialspace, services, and job opportunities inclose proximity to public transportation.Such development is intended to reducedependency on automobiles, as wellas better linking residences to jobs andservices.Universal Healthcare: State in which allresidents of a geographic or political regionhave access to most types of healthcare. Universal health care is providedin most developed countries and manydeveloping countries across the globe.Urban Design: The attempt to giveform, in terms of both beauty and function,to selected urban areas or to wholecities. Urban design is concerned withthe location, mass and design of variousurban components and combineselements of urban planning, architectureand landscape architecture.Urban Sprawl: Haphazard growth oroutward extension of an urban arearesulting from uncontrolled or poorlymanaged development.Walking Distance: The distance whichan able-bodied person would reasonablybe expected to walk. Commonly understoodas ¼ mile, or about 10 minutes’walk.Watershed: The land area from whichsurface runoff drains into a stream, channel,lake, reservoir or other body of water.Large watersheds, like the MississippiRiver basin contain thousands of smallerwatersheds.Zoning: The division of a city by legislativeregulations into areas, or zones,which specify allowable uses for realproperty and size restrictions for buildingswithin these areas; a program that carriesout policies of the City’s ComprehensivePlan.glossary57