Portlanders
have mixed feelings about population growth.
When it comes to the topic of population growth, Portlanders
have strong and widely differing opinions. Some feel
the city is the right size now, others feel that it
has already become too large and still others think
that Portland is currently too small. These disagreements
over what the “ideal” size of Portland should be are
borne out in respondents’ differing visions of the future.
One group wants Portland’s population to stay roughly
the same or even shrink and advocates policies to discourage
growth. Another group reluctantly accepts population
growth and advocates for policies which will keep Portland
livable in the face of this growth. A final group welcomes
growth, believing Portland will benefit from new ideas,
more diversity, more culture, more jobs and increased tourism.
While this last group is probably the smallest, all
three perspectives are voiced by many respondents, making
this one of the more contentious sections of the input report.
Note: Some of the themes and ideas
mentioned in this section are elaborated upon and/or
repeated in the section on Urban
Livability: Growth Management. A reading of both
sections would therefore provide the most complete picture
of Portlanders views on the topic of growth.
- Portland
is the right size now; let’s keep it that way.
- Portland
is already too big and crowded.
- Portland is too small;
growth should be encouraged.
- Population growth threatens
Portland’s cherished livability.
- Population growth does
not have to reduce Portland’s livability.
Summary of
Tensions and Disagreements
- What size should Portland
strive to be?
- Can population growth
be controlled?
- Should density be encouraged
or discouraged?
- Portland
is the right size now; let’s keep it that
way.
- Many people mention how much they like Portland’s
current size and the fact that it’s not too
big or too crowded (comments on this can also
be found in Urban
Livability: Family Friendly and Urban
Livability: Small-Town Feeling).
- Many people are grateful that Portland is
not like Los Angeles, San Francisco or Seattle,
with all the traffic problems, crime and “big
city hassles.”
- A number of respondents voice the opinion
that population growth can be averted through
proper planning, disagreeing with the assessment
that this growth is an inevitable fact.
| “We
must not assume that population growth
cannot be influenced by public policy.
If we view current predictions as cast
in stone, and we only plan on accommodating
the growth, then we will be the agents
of that growth. We must find ways to shape
and control the growth such that it will
not be at the expense of the amenities
we cherish.” |
| “[In
2030] sprawl has been prevented and regional
population has remained stable, successfully
averting the basic resource scarcity plaguing
the rest of the world.” |
- Portland
is already too big and crowded.
- Many respondents feel that Portland used
to be the perfect size but is now growing
too fast and becoming too large and overcrowded.
- Recent growth has reduced livability by
increasing traffic, housing costs and crowding
while reducing greenspace.
- Respondents attribute some of the recent
overcrowding to new developments that create
housing for additional people.
|
“We are also losing our sense of difference
as more people move here. The very attributes
that attract many to Portland and the
metro areas are being swamped or simply
let go as incomers try to recreate the
communities they were comfortable with
back home.” |
| “They
should stop overcrowding the city. Everyday
they build more houses on land. They’re
cutting down all of what makes Portland/Oregon
beautiful (the trees).” |
| “More
is not necessarily better. All one has
to do is visit cities on the East Coast
of this country and one will realize that
increase in size means increase in the
complexity of life – more violence, more
congestion, lower quality of air and water,
poorer school systems, etc… The impact
our numbers have on the environment is
obvious at this point.” |
- “Stop advertising how ‘livable’
we are, so that not everyone in the universe
wants to move here!”
- “Promote the idea that humans should reverse
our population growth, consume less resources,
and get outside for the love of nature and
exercise.”
- Stop building so many new condos and apartments.
- “Politicians need to talk about oil depletion,
population growth, resource issues…politicians
able to speak candidly and honestly.”
- Set aside unused areas to be exempt from
development.
- Portland
is too small; growth should be encouraged.
- Some believe that population growth is
needed in order to make the city more ethnically
and culturally diverse.
- Others feel that Portland is not sufficiently
cosmopolitan and growth will bring needed
cultural amenities that Portland currently
lacks.
- A few respondents like living in a growing
city, as this makes Portland feel dynamic,
“up and coming” and like an interesting place
to be.
| “Because
of the sustained influx of people from
across the country and of immigrants,
[in 2030] Portland will have lost it’s
‘provincial’ feel for good and will be
more cutting-edge.” |
| “I
would like to see the area of downtown
grow in size and in population.” |
| “If
I could see changes, I want Portland to
grow and be more diverse.” |
| “The
growth is great. New people = new ideas
= more jobs = more culture = more great
stuff to do.” |
- “Build skyscrapers with adjacent
services and infrastructure to support these
new communities within existing city boundaries.”
- Reduce fear of newcomers
and create an enviornment of openness to people of other cultures
and communities.
- “I really think Portland’s economy would
need to be better and the job situation in
this state would have to be improved in order
to attract folks to the area.”
- “Can Portland families be sold on the desirability
of living—like the most of the rest of the
world—in a flat? We have yet to design a higher-rise
district like the Pearl that is pitched
to family living. We can do better at planning
for children as we increase density, a la
Vancouver, B.C.”
- Population
growth threatens Portland’s cherished livability.
- Many believe that population growth is inevitable
and worry about the impact it will have on
the city’s livability.
- Respondents are particularly concerned about
the effects of population growth on:
- Traffic;
- Housing affordability;
- Availability of greenspace, access to
nature and views;
- Education and the public school system;
- Access to services;
- Sense of community; and
- “Portland values” such as friendliness,
open-mindedness, laid-back pace (for more
on how people define this, see Urban
Livability: The People).
| “Right
now, the critical issues we face are growth,
livability, and education. We must promote
smart-growth development including livable
affordable housing. We must update the
area’s water-works, clean-up the Willamette,
protect watersheds, and educate our children.” |
| “I
hope and dream that PDX will be able to
accommodate the expected growth while
staying true to the small town/big city
feel that makes it so special.” |
- Population
growth does not have to reduce Portland’s
livability.
- A number of respondents believe that livability
can be maintained, even as Portland grows
to become a larger city.
- These respondents advocate for planning
for population growth now, so that it does
not catch the City by surprise.
| “[In
2030] The city has a higher population,
but is still affordable and livable. Sprawl
has been contained and traffic has not
gotten worse. The density has risen but
not at the cost of green spaces. Local
businesses are still common and cost effective.
Corporate chains have not invaded every
street side.” |
| “[In
2030] it’s a much bigger city, but more
compact, smartly designed with lots of
nature, sustainable design and art incorporated
into the city. Natural habitat is preserved
and there is low impact development that
works in harmony with natural environment.”
|
| “Although
our population has expanded, it still
includes a healthy number of families
and children; there are opportunities
for community involvement and action,
we welcome diversity and are proud of
every citizen’s accomplishments; law enforcement
and the justice system are internationally
known for being people-centered and producing
positive outcomes for all concerned.” |
- The City needs to improve basic
infrastructure to prepare for growth (e.g.,
widen roads, expand public transportation,
increase the amount of greenspace).
- Build more “smart housing” that is dense
and yet still offers residents access to greenspace
and views of nature.
- “Be more Portland with every decision.
We need to grow into a big Portland, not a
small Seattle or Bay Area."
|
- What
size should Portland strive to be?
Most of the disagreements that run through this section
stem from a core disagreement over the ideal size
of Portland as a city. Some imagine a much larger
city in the future, others a smaller city and still
others a city that has retained its current size.
These major differences in vision play out in widely
differing policy and strategy preferences on topics
such as growth management, land use and development.
- Can
population growth be controlled?
Another major disagreement revolves around whether
population growth can be controlled or influenced
by the community. Some respondents feel that population
growth is inevitable and the wisest response is
to plan adequately for anticipated growth. Others
strongly believe that population growth can be controlled
and even prevented with the right set of policies,
incentives and other tools. These respondents see
planning for growth as tantamount to encouraging
it and advocate instead for policies that discourage
newcomers from moving to Portland.
- Should
density be encouraged or discouraged?
Those who advocate planning for growth feel that
density should be encouraged as a way to preserve
greenspace, views and housing affordability as additional
people move to Portland. These Portlanders strongly
support the Urban Growth Boundary and view density
as a key tool in the “smart growth” toolbox.
Many of those who oppose growth also oppose increasing
density in the urban core. These respondents feel
that creating additional housing simply makes it
easier for people to move to Portland, accelerating
the process of population growth. Some also feel
that Portland is already “overcrowded” and that
any increase in density will make this worse. Finally,
high-density development is blamed by some for blocking
views, creating unattractive infill and “ruining”
the character of historic neighborhoods (see “Growth
Management” and “Land
Use” for more discussion of these issues).
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