Portland

Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

75 Cities Ranked by ParkScore 2015

The Trust for Public Land released its 2015 ParkScore today, ranking the 75 largest U.S. cities on the metrics of acreage, facilities and investment, and access.

May 20, 2015 - Trust for Public Land

Denver Skyline

U.S. Cities Find Right Sizes for Their Greenbelts

A favorite in Europe but rare in the United States, urban growth boundaries are intended to keep cities compact and hinterlands green. The few American cities with UGB's are trying to figuring out how to use them effectively.

May 12, 2015 - ASLA The Dirt

Survey Says: Invest in Walking in East Portland

The results of a multi-lingual survey of residents in East Portland produced surprising results about which transportation investments are most desired.

May 2, 2015 - Bike Portland

Tolling, Road User Charge Examined at Annual Transportation Conference

Transportation finance and road usage charging are the themes of the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association's annual conference held in Portland from April 26 to 28 in downtown Portland. Oregon's road usage charge begins July 1.

April 27, 2015 - Planetizen

Oregon Capitol

Oregon Moves to Lift Inclusionary Zoning Ban

By a vote split (nearly) down the party line, the Oregon House passed a bill to end state restrictions on inclusionary zoning. Municipalities may soon be able to require below-market pricing.

April 24, 2015 - Bike Portland

Farmland 'Blight' to Make Way for Industrial Uses Near Portland

Looking to add some industrial heft to the Portland, Oregon region's economy, a recent study makes the case for the North Hillsboro Industrial Area to be built on what is currently farmland.

April 14, 2015 - The Oregonian

Controversial Propane Export Terminal Moves Forward in Portland

The city of Portland is considering a propane export terminal project for the Port of Portland. The export terminal is just one of many energy export facilities under consideration in the Pacific Northwest.

April 8, 2015 - KUOW

Water Pipelines Powering Homes in Portland

A new subterranean turbine technology is now generating enough electricity to power 150 homes in the city of Portland.

April 5, 2015 - Citymetric

Strava Proposal

Fitness Apps Are the New Planning Tool

Many smartphone users have a fitness app that they use to track their routes and progress on fitness goals. The data in these apps is a gold mine for planners, helping lead to better infrastructure investments.

April 3, 2015 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Connection Due On Time, Under Budget

The thing of legend will come to pass: the TriMet Portland-Milwaukie light rail construction project is expected for delivery on time and between $10 and $40 million under budget.

March 30, 2015 - Progressive Railroading

Alberta Arts District Mural Portland

A Response to the Loss of Black Communities in Portland

A five-minute video funded by the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation tells the story of black communities struggling to preserve their traditions in what's been called the whitest city in the United States.

March 17, 2015 - Oregon Humanities

View of Portland, Oregon from Pittock Mansion

Are Home Prices in New Urbanist Neighborhoods More Resilient? Evidence from Metro Portland

A new article in the Journal of Planning Education and Research (@JPER7) by Hongwei Dong of California State University, Fresno, asks whether New Urbanist developments were more resilient in terms of recovering from the 2008 real estate crash.

February 20, 2015 - JPER

Portland Bike Safety Signage

Portland Planners Asked to Say 'No' More Often

The head of Portland's Bureau of Development Services is asking that planners raise standards for discretionary review of development proposals. Among the points made to planners in a recent memo: customer service is not the same as getting to "yes."

February 18, 2015 - The Oregonian

View of Portland, Oregon from Pittock Mansion

Portland Tops Gentrification Study

Research published by Governing Magazine finds that Portland, Oregon is the U.S. city with the highest degree of gentrification in this century.

February 17, 2015 - Fusion

Portland, Maine

Friday Funny: Cities Want to Be Cozy

Cities vie for all sorts of distinctions: greenest; friendliest; wealthiest; most innovative. Portland, Maine, is just tickled to bits about topping the "Top-10 Coziest Cities in America." Added bonus: it beat out its regional arch-rival Boston.

February 13, 2015 - Boston.com

Netherlands Homes

5 Ways to Add Density (High Rises Not Included)

In some cities the idea of adding a high rise is always dead on arrival, even if the city desperately needs to add density. For those communities facing similar challenges, a post on Blooming Rock offers five ways to think outside the high-rise box.

February 8, 2015 - Blooming Rock

Sprawl vs. Unions

The three very different stories of the building trades in Atlanta, Denver, and Portland show just how much urban development patterns affect workers.

February 6, 2015 - Shelterforce

Seattle skyline

Seattle-Portland Rivalry Escalates Over Transit

Amid the constant battle between Seattle and Portland, Seattle-based writer Eric Scigliano responds to an Oregonian article praising Seattle's transit system. Praise is all right, writes Scigliano, but the Oregonian missed a few lowlights.

February 5, 2015 - Crosscut

Anatomy of a Failed Infrastructure Project: Columbia River Crossing

Bloomberg Businessweek examines the failed Columbia River Crossing project as a poster child for how political dysfunction is derailing critically needed infrastructure.

January 12, 2015 - Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Tough Week for Uber on the West Coast—Three Cities File Injunctions

Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Portland all filed suit against Uber recently hoping to bring the transportation network company in conformity with public safety regulations.

December 12, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.