What's in the Water, Portland?

The city of Fort Worth, Texas, is at a critical juncture. In a state that has grown through sprawl and auto-dependent development, civic leaders are trying to bring ideas like New Urbanism, Smart Growth, and transit-oriented development into their Trinity River Vision redevelopment master plan. Recently, First Stop Portland hosted a delegation of leaders from Fort Worth visiting Portland to meet with local leaders who shaped similar major redevelopment schemes here like the Pearl District, South Waterfront, and Portland Streetcar projects.

Fort Worth TVA delegates visit Jameson Square

While the political and economic realities of large projects like these were certainly integral to these discussions, the question that surprisingly arose at each of our meetings throughout the day was a matter of culture: isn’t it something special about Portland that makes it’s leaders and citizens amenable to projects like these? What is it that makes development like this possible?

Kyoto Delegation Both Impressed and Confused by Competing Government Entities

by Kyle Curtis
First Stop Portland

On Wednesday, September 2nd, First Stop Portland accompanied a delegation of municipal leaders visiting from Kyoto, Japan.

Metro attorney Dan Cooper

Currently, Kyoto prefecture and other prefectures in southwest Japan are developing a regional governance structure and were interested in learning about the jurisdictional and legal authority of Metro. The delegation attended a presentation from Metro attorney Dan Cooper which outlined the role Metro plays in regional governance. Dan explained the unique characteristics that helped shape the development of the Portland metropolitan region and continue to shape planning for the region's future.  In the Q & A session that followed, the delegation inquired about Metro's budget and how revenues were raised.  One delegate asked whether Metro ever combined small or local governments under its jurisdiction and Cooper replied that this was not a consideration for Metro. Although I am not aware of the details of the regional governance being developed by Kyoto and its neighboring prefectures, the fact that this question was asked leads me to assume that the idea of combining small governments is under consideration by Japanese municipal leaders.

San Juan Mayor unveils "Walkable City" plan- with just a little help from First Stop Portland

By Kyle Curtis
First Stop Portland


In April 2010, First Stop Portland was pleased to host a visiting delegation of developers, architects, planners, politicians, and students from Puerto Rico. During their week-long stay in Portland, this delegation examined Portland's sustainable urban infrastructure; transit options and policy; how Portland has been able to reduce its carbon footprint in the central business district; and how Portland's Climate Action Plan influences land use policy. Besides learning about such various organizations as Metro, 1000 Friends of Oregon, and Ecotrust, the Puerto Rico delegation was also treated to both a guided tour of the Columbia Gorge as well as a dinner provided by chef Leather Storrs on the eco-roof of Noble Rot restaurant.

Neighborhood Scouting Report: Sunnyside

Neighborhood Scouting Report: Historic Mississippi Avenue

by Kyle Curtis, First Stop Portland

On a balmy summer day- with the sun playing hide-and-seek behind the clouds- I decided to hop on the Yellow MAX line from downtown Portland to visit the Mississippi neighborhood. The concept of 20-minute neighborhoods prominently features in conversations about sustainable development in Portland, with a portion of the Portland Plan devoted to the concept. Currently, First Stop Portland is compiling a guidebook of Portland, with different chapters that focus on these various neighborhoods. I decided to take a fact-finding trip to one of the city’s up-and-coming neighborhoods, not only to collect information for the book but also to determine whether Mississippi fits the definition of the "20 minute neighborhood" concept.

Nowhere to live in the livable city

Last fall, I helped plan the Mitsui Financial Group tour. During this process, I came to appreciate the challenges in trying to get a group of visitors from point A to point B on schedule via public transit. When developing tour itineraries, we try to account for all the possibilities that we might encounter, from rain to street construction, while looking for opportunities to present "The Portland Story." But no matter how prepared we are – even after a “dry run” of the tour – something always occurs that forces you to think on your feet.

Testing Images

Steel bridge, from a recent tour...testing. Community leaders throughout the world want to learn about sustainable, livable Portland. Delegations come here seeking tools for central city vitality, multimodal transportation solutions, resource land protection, sustainable development, and true community involvement.

First Stop Portland answers this request. We are a three-way collaborative representing 1) Portland State University, 2) business, and 3) government. Our purpose is sharing knowledge and ‘best practices,’ with the goal of continuing to create more livable, sustainable cities.