Alex Marshall muses on a new T.V. show set in Portland and how distinctiveness is so important to a city's success.
Marshall writes:
"More than a major league sports team, more than an opera house or symphony, having a network set a television series in your city is an announcement, that you have arrived as a metropolis."
The show Marshall is talking about is called "Life Unexpected," and it uses elements of the city like the light rail as set pieces.
"Beyond income per capita, unemployment rate or overall wealth, Portland is a city that is itself and nothing else. That's rare these days."
FULL STORY: Distinctiveness: A Big Secret to Cities’ Success

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule
The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path
Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.
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