Brian Libby reports from Willamette Falls in Oregon City, Oregon, where plans for the Willamette Falls Riverwalk are taking shape.
"Willamette Falls is the second largest waterfall by volume in the United States, after Niagara, and the largest in the waterfall-heavy Pacific Northwest," writes Libby. But, "[f]or more than a century, Willamette Falls has been all but hidden from public view because both sides of the river have been dominated by heavy industry."
Libby provides details of Oregon City's distant and more recent history, including the 2011 launch of the Willamette Falls Legacy Project. The project recently made a major announcement, unveiling a multi-phase river-walk plan. "Helming the design team is Snøhetta, the firm behind landmarks like the National September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion, the Oslo Opera House, and the expansion of SFMoMA," writes Libby.
The article includes spectacular renderings released with the plan, and more details on what it will take to make these ambitious dreams for this singular confluence of nature, industry, and adaptive reuse a reality.
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North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA)
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research