On Saturday, April 12, members of City Club’s Built Environment Issue Committee went on a walking tour of Portland’s downtown core, joined by approximately 16 to 20 participants. The tour was part of their Rx for Central City Livability project, which will generate inspirational design solutions and advisory recommendations, including a proposed framework for a new 2050 Plan.
The group was led by architect and town planner Laurence Qamar, Heather Flint Chatto, Executive Director of the Architectural Heritage Center, and Committee Chair and City Club Governor Jonathon Konkol.
As they walked, talked, and observed the urban environment, participants were asked to reflect on four key dimensions of the downtown—its Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats—both as they exist today and as they may evolve in the coming decades.
The walk began on the South Park Blocks during the bustling PSU Farmers Market. The group identified the Portland State University campus as one of downtown’s greatest strengths, citing its social, economic, educational, and cultural contributions.Then they made their way east toward SE 4th Avenue, turning north near the Bureau of Development Services, and continuing along parts of SE 4th, 5th, and 6th Avenues, eventually crossing Burnside. Along the way, they passed through the Transit Mall and its surrounding core of Mid-Century Modern office towers. The committee observed that both the Transit Mall and many of these buildings have experienced a sharp decline in use over the past five years, particularly in ground-floor retail and office occupancy. This loss of economic and social activity was identified as a major weakness of the downtown, and a key factor driving the need for revitalization.
After crossing Burnside, the group continued northwest into the Pearl District, passing through the northern end of the Park Blocks. They noted that all the streets in the Pearl have 60-foot-wide rights-of-way, unlike the downtown streets, where north-south rights-of-way are typically 80 feet wide and east-west ones are 60 feet. This consistent, narrower dimension in the Pearl creates a more comfortable height-to-width ratio and a stronger sense of enclosure in the “street rooms.”
They also observed that the Pearl features a higher concentration of mixed-use residential, office, and retail buildings, in contrast to downtown’s many single-use office towers built in the 1950s and ’60s. The Pearl’s lower building heights, narrower streets, and stronger residential presence contribute to a more congenial and livable urban environment.
Eventually, the route looped back south, crossing Burnside near Powell’s Books, a strong landmark of the city center. Moving through the narrow angular streets in that district in which the two street grids intersect revealed some of the more dynamic historic blocks, buildings and street spaces with night life and restaurants.
By the time the committee members returned to their starting point, they had completed a three-hour, three-mile journey. Along the way, they learned a great deal from their observations and from one another, feeling well prepared for the upcoming Design Charrette co-hosted by the Architectural Heritage Center.
Join the Conversation
The Charrette will take place Friday, June 27 to Saturday, June 28, with several opportunities for the public to participate.
Want to participate in fieldwork and projects like this? Complete this form to express your interest in our Issue Committee on the Built Environment. Register for the Charrette Public Review Sessions and Public Reception here.