urban planning

How placemaking can influence personal transformation

  I’ve written a lot about issues of urban planning and placemaking. Mostly this is because this is an area of obsession fascination with me and I find myself having lots to say on the topic. But still, as this … Read MoreRead More

How to handle when your neighborhood changes

  Portland is known as a hotbed of urban progressiveness, but it’s surrounded by some fairly rural and conservative areas. Drive out toward the edge of the urban growth boundary, and the Subarus and Priuses (Priii?) will be replaced by … Read MoreRead More

Your right to park on your street

  There are big changes in my area of Portland, changes that mirror a lot of areas of the country. One of the thoroughfares, Division St., is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Once populated by auto-supply stores, dive bars, and other … Read MoreRead More

Greedy Lying Bastards, or how not to make a difference

  I had the pleasure of seeing Greedy Lying Bastards recently, the new documentary from local filmmaker Craig Rosebraugh about the climate change denial industry. I knew with a name like “Greedy Lying Bastards” that it wasn’t likely to be … Read MoreRead More