SE Uplift’s new Neighborhood Planning Program Manager, Leah Fisher, is spending her first days at SE Uplift meeting Land Use and Transportation chairs/representatives and conducting a review of the role and the Land Use Transportation Committee (LUTC).
Sharing In Portland During a one-mile walk in the neighborhood, there is a lot to see. There’s the neighbor down the street who rents her extra room to short-term visitors through an online service. There’s the family with a little lending library, offering up old romance novels to passersby on the sidewalk. There’s the coffee shop that is always filled with people typing away on laptops, using the space and… Read More »Sharing In Portland
Portland’s Comprehensive Plan Update is an Onion By now, you’ve probably heard something about the city’s update to the Comprehensive Plan. This massive undertaking has been ongoing – in one way or another – for years now (roughly since 2007 if you count Vision PDX as part of the process). You’ve probably heard that is important because it helps to set the policies and direction for where and how Portland… Read More »Portland’s Comprehensive Plan Update is an Onion
A large property that once had a 1920s bungalow and a generous vegetable garden has been replaced by two separate lots – each with a home much larger than the original bungalow – and each with much less garden space. This is not an uncommon occurrence in Portland these days. As our population grows, so too does the number of lots. This division of land is colloquially referred to as… Read More »Lot Splitting
Stopping ‘Ugly’ Buildings Extending Portland’s Design Overlay Zone to ‘Neighborhood Centers and Corridors’ It was no less than Winston Churchill who said, “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” I think about this quote sometimes when I walk through our neighborhoods. Our buildings often give us a sense of place and help to shape our understanding of community. Every neighborhood has buildings that just feel special. Conversely, every neighborhood… Read More »Stopping ‘Ugly’ Buildings: Extending Portland’s Design Overlay Zone to ‘Neighborhood Centers and Corridors’
The SE Portland block I live on offers a snapshot of the city’s residential development eras. There are a couple of single family homes that were built in the 1890s. There are a handful of modest single family houses built in the late 1920s. There is a two-story 30-unit apartment complex that was built in 1972. And sprinkled in there are a pair of attached duplexes built in the 1950s… Read More »Portland’s Hidden Density
If you have been following the city’s process to update its Comprehensive Plan for how Portland will grow over the next couple of decades, you are probably keenly aware that much of this growth is directed toward mixed use zones situated along corridors and in centers. Portland is forecast to add about 120,000 new housing units over the next 25 years. If the city develops like it is laid out… Read More »BPS Looks to Tackle In-Fill Development Standards
A new multistory mixed use building is constructed in your neighborhood. The building has a physical imprint, but what other impacts does it have on an area? Additional people and businesses can lead to increased vibrancy and boost nearby businesses. Increased activity can generate more car trips, as well as more people biking and walking. New residences and businesses mean new toilets and showers, with new demands on water pipes… Read More »System Development Charges: A Primer
A few weeks ago, I talked with a friend who was considering purchasing a new home. She was excited to show me the pictures, pondering whether or not she could afford it, and trying to decide if it was the right fit for her. We talked a bit about the neighborhood where the house was located, which was a big selling point for her. And then the inner planning nerd… Read More »Zoning: Visualizing what could be
With 2014 in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look ahead to what’s in store for 2015. Here are 6 key land use and transportation topics that I’ll be paying close attention to this new year. (1) The Apartment Building Boom: The past couple of years have seen a surge in the construction of multifamily buildings. This has been driven by a number of factors including historically low rental vacancy rates.… Read More »Land Use and Transportation: Issues Abound in 2015