Home > Portland, Oregon
Portland is the largest city in Oregon, and county seat of Multnomah County. It is a major Pacific seaport located about sixty miles from the west coast of the United States, situated on both sides of the Willamette River, just south of its confluence with the Columbia River. According the US Census estimates, as of July 2003, the city's population was estimated to be 538,544, a growth of 1.7% over the April 2000 census figure of 529,121.The Portland metropolitan area spans Multnomah and Washington counties and parts of Clackamas, Columbia, and Yamhill counties in Oregon, and Clark CountyClark County is a county located in the southwestern part of the State of Washington, across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon. Clark County was one of the first two counties of Washington, named after William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expeditio in WashingtonWashington is a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. It should not be confused with Washington, DC, the nation's capital. To avoid confusion, the state is often called Washington state . Although the state capital is Olympia, the largest c, with a population of 2,016,357 as of July 2003, 5.2% more than the 2000 census figure for the area. The metropolitan area includes the neighboring cities of BeavertonBeaverton is a city located in Washington County, Oregon. The city was named after the beaver, whose activities left fertile soil known as beaverdam''. There is also a Beaverdam Street in the older part of this city. As of the 2000 census, the city had a, GreshamGresham is a city located in Multnomah County, Oregon. It was named for the American Civil War general Walter Quinton Gresham. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 90,205. History Although a post office was established in May, 1884, G, HillsboroHillsboro is a city located in Washington County, Oregon. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 70,186. According to the city records and street signs, the population has grown to 79,304. It is the county seat of Washington County 6., MilwaukieMilwaukie is a city located in Clackamas County, Oregon. It was founded in 1847 by Lot Whitcomb as a rival to upriver Oregon City, who apparently named it for Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 20,490. Geograph, Lake OswegoLake Oswego (incorporated in 1910) is a city in northwest Oregon just south of Portland, Oregon, surrounding the 405 acre (1. 6 kmē) Oswego Lake. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 35,278. The city is known as a residential area for, Oregon City, and Tigard (all in Oregon), as well as Vancouver (in Washington).
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| Downtown Portland along the Willamette River (winter 2003) |
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1 The city and the region
Portland is often cited as an example of a well-planned city. The credit for this starts with Oregon's proactive land use policies, particularly the establishment of an urban growth boundary (UGB) in 1974. The boundary preserved agricultural land and reduced sprawl. This was atypical in an era when automobile use led many areas to neglect their core cities in favor of development along interstate highways, in suburbs, and satellite cities.
Portland's success in urban planning continues with the Metropolitan Service District (Metro for short), a regional government directly elected by voters. Metro's charter includes land use and transportation planning, solid waste management, and map development. Metro manages the UGB by coordinating with the cities and counties in the area to ensure a 20-year-supply of developable land with the infrastructure that land needs.
Metro's master plan for the Portland region includes Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), centered around light rail lines. This includes mixed-use and high-density development around stops and transit centers, and investing the metropolitan area's share of federal tax dollars into multiple modes of transportation. Metro's master plan also includes multiple town centers, smaller versions of the city center, scattered throughout the metropolitan area.
TOD is part of the national trend sometimes referred to as new urbanism, a trend that Portland developers and city planners are helping to pioneer.
In 1995 Metro introduced the 2040 plan as a way to define long term growth planning. The 2040 Growth Concept is designed to accommodate 780,000 additional people and 350,000 jobs by the year 2040. This plan has created some criticism from environmentalists, but few consider it a threat to Portland's legacy of urban growth management.
An April 2004 study in the Journal of the American Planning Association tried to quantify the effects of Metro's plans on Portland's urban form. While the report cautioned against finding a direct link between any single one policy and any improvements in Portland's urban form, it showed strong correlation between Metro's 2040 plan and various west-side changes in Portland. Changes cited include increased density and mixed-use development as well as improved pedestrian/non-automobile accessibility.
