The Planning Evolution of America's Greenest City
Portland, Oregon, USA
(5) Relative Location in U.S.
Location:
Sitting roughly 70 miles from the coastline of the Pacific Ocean, and over 300 miles from the California border, Portland, Oregon finds itself in a West Coast Marine Climate that keeps a large portion of the year filled with rainy days and grey skies. Portland sits at the confluence of two major river systems, the mighty Columbia River that Lewis and Clark sailed along, and the Willamette River that runs north from the valley basin fed by the Cascade Mountain Range and finally drains into the Columbia River. Inhabiting the southern portion of the Willamette Valley, one hundred plus miles away, is the city of Eugene with approximately one fourth the population of the City of Portland. A little closer, sixty miles south, lies the state capital, Salem with roughly the same amount of residents as Eugene. Both of these cities play unique roles in the makeup of the attitudes amongst the residents of Portland.
Industries:
Portland has its roots in the timber industry, exploiting the immense amounts of Douglas Fir trees the area is rich in. When electricity became commonplace, the mountains and river systems made the region ripe for hydro-electric expansion. The new frontier that the region is embarking on is wind energy initiatives and Portland is now home to wind turbine manufacturers to address the growing demand for alternative and sustainable energy sources.
Sitting roughly 70 miles from the coastline of the Pacific Ocean, and over 300 miles from the California border, Portland, Oregon finds itself in a West Coast Marine Climate that keeps a large portion of the year filled with rainy days and grey skies. Portland sits at the confluence of two major river systems, the mighty Columbia River that Lewis and Clark sailed along, and the Willamette River that runs north from the valley basin fed by the Cascade Mountain Range and finally drains into the Columbia River. Inhabiting the southern portion of the Willamette Valley, one hundred plus miles away, is the city of Eugene with approximately one fourth the population of the City of Portland. A little closer, sixty miles south, lies the state capital, Salem with roughly the same amount of residents as Eugene. Both of these cities play unique roles in the makeup of the attitudes amongst the residents of Portland.
Industries:
Portland has its roots in the timber industry, exploiting the immense amounts of Douglas Fir trees the area is rich in. When electricity became commonplace, the mountains and river systems made the region ripe for hydro-electric expansion. The new frontier that the region is embarking on is wind energy initiatives and Portland is now home to wind turbine manufacturers to address the growing demand for alternative and sustainable energy sources.
Nicknames:
The Rose City, the famous rose gardens on the west hills along with the annual Rose Parade paved the way for this most common moniker. Bridgetown, the many bridges that serve as arteries and span the Willamette River linking the west side and east side of the Downtown Portland, seem to tell the architectural history of the city and illustrate the bond between the colorful residents and the beautiful bridges. Stumptown, this nickname is said to describe the topography during the initial settlement of the area as the once heavily forested area was reduced to stumps. Beervana, cleverly assigned after the city had been assessed as having the most micro-breweries per capita. PDX, the Portland International Airport three-letter code coincided nicely as a nickname due to the young hipster population embracing a "Generation X" mentality. Portlandia, the residents often compare Portland to an urban utopia, and the onset of a nationally televised comedy sketch show with the same name gave Portlands newest nickname national notoriety. |
"Rebirth of the Public City"
(2) "Keep Portland Weird" Slogan Found Throughout the City
"There is a rare magnificence to Portland’s Setting in the Northwest rain forest of America. Sited at the head of the lush green valley of the Willamette River, just before it reaches its confluence with the mighty Columbia, the Oregon city is all but surrounded by mountains. To the West rises the Coastal range and to the east the Cascades. On a clear day, Portlanders have a stunning View of Mount Hood, rising serene into the heavens. Often times mist settles in a band below Hood’s Summit, leaving the mountain’s great White peak floating, as it were, on the horizon." (1)
"Traditionally, Portland was viewed as a prim, proper city, true to the New England roots of its lìrst settlers. It was from its early years a town of independent farmers, loggers, and seamen, along with captains of business and industry, but Portland never took on the character of a San Francisco with its Gold Rush or a Seattle with its Klondike adventurers and bitter labor wars. Asians and blacks joined Portland’s New Englanders, but contentious ethnic politics never took root here. Oregon became a kind of pilot station for early twentieth-century Progressive-era governmental reform, and as environmentalism became a recognized national value, Portland was ready to embrace and even embody it." (1)
"Traditionally, Portland was viewed as a prim, proper city, true to the New England roots of its lìrst settlers. It was from its early years a town of independent farmers, loggers, and seamen, along with captains of business and industry, but Portland never took on the character of a San Francisco with its Gold Rush or a Seattle with its Klondike adventurers and bitter labor wars. Asians and blacks joined Portland’s New Englanders, but contentious ethnic politics never took root here. Oregon became a kind of pilot station for early twentieth-century Progressive-era governmental reform, and as environmentalism became a recognized national value, Portland was ready to embrace and even embody it." (1)
1 Peirce, Neal R., and Robert Guskind. Breakthroughs: re-creating the American city. New Brunswick, N.J.: Center for Urban Policy Research, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, 1993
2. (Image) Portland, Samuel John Klein of, and Oregon - An Independent Graphic Designer living in a city that was built upon an ancient Unicorn burial ground.. "The ZehnKatzen Times: Made In Oregon: It's The Battle Of The Brands." The ZehnKatzen Times. http://zehnkatzen.blogspot.com/2009/03/made-in-oregon-it-battle-of-brands.html (accessed February 28, 2013).
3. Svoboda, Elizabeth, and Saba Berhie. "America's 50 Greenest Cities | Popular Science." Popular Science | New Technology, Science News, The Future Now. http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2008-02/americas-50-greenest-cities?page=1 (accessed February 28, 2013).
4. (Image) http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/52/64452-004-2AED865A.gif
5. (Image) geology.com. "Portland, OR Satellite Image - Satellite Photo Map." Geology.com: News and Information for Geology & Earth Science. http://geology.com/satellite/cities/portland-satellite-image.shtml (accessed March 1, 2013).
2. (Image) Portland, Samuel John Klein of, and Oregon - An Independent Graphic Designer living in a city that was built upon an ancient Unicorn burial ground.. "The ZehnKatzen Times: Made In Oregon: It's The Battle Of The Brands." The ZehnKatzen Times. http://zehnkatzen.blogspot.com/2009/03/made-in-oregon-it-battle-of-brands.html (accessed February 28, 2013).
3. Svoboda, Elizabeth, and Saba Berhie. "America's 50 Greenest Cities | Popular Science." Popular Science | New Technology, Science News, The Future Now. http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2008-02/americas-50-greenest-cities?page=1 (accessed February 28, 2013).
4. (Image) http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/52/64452-004-2AED865A.gif
5. (Image) geology.com. "Portland, OR Satellite Image - Satellite Photo Map." Geology.com: News and Information for Geology & Earth Science. http://geology.com/satellite/cities/portland-satellite-image.shtml (accessed March 1, 2013).
Jesse Ellison Jillian Emery Lara Jansen Anthony Monaco
University Of California San Diego - Urban Studies & Planning Program
Under the Direction of Molly Hamilton and Dr. Mirle Rabinowitz-Bussell
University Of California San Diego - Urban Studies & Planning Program
Under the Direction of Molly Hamilton and Dr. Mirle Rabinowitz-Bussell