Friday Funny: Portlandia Is Over

It's a sad day. Portlandia will no longer skewer the idiosyncrasies of enlightened urban lifestyles.

2 minute read

March 23, 2018, 11:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Keep Portland Weird

Tony Webster / Flickr

The final episode of Portlandia aired on March 22, bringing an end to a show dear to the heart of many fans of Portland, the Pacific Northwest, the West Coast, and even, we daresay, the United States.

Fittingly, given the show's popularity among urbanists, the final episode included a couple of urbanism-themed jokes in its final go-around. In the continuing plotline of the final episode, the mayor of Portland (in a recurring role played by Kyle MacLachlan) is trying to design a rose-shaped marathon route in honor of the Rose City. The problem is what kind of deals the mayor has to make to get to achieve his dream of designing the marathon route like a rose. In a "a quid pro quo situation" the mayor is asked to revoke support for a condo development in exchange for shutting down a few streets for the marathon.

"They're building this monstrosity right in our backyard," says a NIMBY to the mayor. (The "monstrosity" definitely looks like it would check all the boxes on a form-based code.) The Condo development is called The Coop (which is hopefully a reference to MacLachlan's character in another Pacific Northwest classic, Twin Peaks) and the promotional material says its "Built on the Former Sight [sic] of Food Carts." Another group of NIMBYs barters to stop a different development, the "PDX Condos: The Millennial Collection," because it will cost a lot of brunch business. Another group asks for tickets to a Blazers game and an end to "The Portland" condo development. By the end of the scene the mayor is just rubber stamping condo obstruction to benefit the self interest of NIMBYs.

The whole thing could be chalked up as fairly brief satire on the smug self-righteousness of NIMBYs, until the end of the show when the mayor directly responds to an obstructionist by saying, "I just want what's best for this city. Didn't you once want that, too?"

If you're feeling like the best part of Portlandia is definitely not going home, here's a synopsis of the entire final episode, a tour of 21 of the filming locations for the show, and a list of the best sketches from the history of the show. Don't forget to put a bird on it.

Thursday, March 22, 2018 in The Oregonian

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Bird's eye view of manufactured home park.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing

Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

March 25, 2025 - Shelterforce

U-Haul truck on road with blurred grassy roadside in background.

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?

Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

March 27, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Rusty abandoned oil well and equipment with prickly pear cactus next to it in West Texas.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage

Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

March 31, 2025 - Pennsylvania State University

Downtown Los Angeles skyline viewed from a distance with freeway and trees in foreground.

Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods

A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.

April 3 - USC Dornsife

Aerial view of Claifornia aqueduct with green orchard on one side.

California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy

California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.

April 3 - Turlock Journal

Close-up of older woman's hands resting on white modern heating radiator mounted on wall indoors.

HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program

The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.

April 3 - The New York Times