Many
want Portland's small-town feel retained in the face
of population growth.
While Portland offers many of the attractions of a
large metropolitan area, it possesses something that
large cities typically lack: a “small town feel” that
Portlanders value deeply. Portland is laid back, friendly,
walkable, community-oriented, familiar, soulful and
infused with nature—a “livable small city with heart.”
Many Portlanders worry that this small-town feeling
will be lost or is already being lost in the face of
population growth and in-migration from other parts
of the country. Most people would like to see Portland’s
unique identity and small town feel maintained and enhanced,
although a minority would prefer to see Portland evolve
into a larger, more cosmopolitan city along the lines
of Boston, Seattle or San Francisco.
- Portland’s
small town feeling sets it apart from other cities.
- Many
elements work together to lend Portland the feel of
a smaller town.
- Population growth threatens
Portland’s small-town feeling.
- Should we aspire to maintain
our small town feeling in the future?
- Portland’s
small town feeling sets it apart from other
cities.
- Portland is frequently praised as a place
that offers the amenities of a big city with
the “feel” of a small town.
- People see the small-town/ big city balance
as a uniquely Portland characteristic that
is lacking in most other American cities.
- Many respondents cherish the feeling that
they can be “a member of a community, rather
than one of the countless millions” in Portland.
- Many respondents hope that Portland’s small-town
feel can be retained into the future, as this
is an element of Portland that they strongly
value.
- Some respondents feel that Portland’s small-town
feeling is already being lost, or is on the
verge of being lost. Others worry that it
will be lost soon if a conscious effort is
not made to preserve it.
| “[What
I value is] that Portland offers the big
city with a small town culture and feeling.
I want music, movies, culture, events,
sports, and all that a big city offers
but I still want small neighborhoods with
local coffee houses and locally owned
shops that I can walk to and get to know
my neighbors at. I think Portland has
done a good job of this and can continue
to improve on this model.” |
| "[I
value the] comfortable pace and ‘small
town’ feeling with cultural and social
assets of a major city.” |
| “I
love the smaller town feel with many big
city attributes. Great restaurants, theatre,
and shopping but still has the feeling
that you’ll run into your neighbor or
someone from the community wherever you
are around town.” |
- Many
elements work together to lend Portland the
feel of a smaller town.
- Portlanders attribute the city’s small town
feeling to a number of different factors that
all work together, including:
- Ease of travel within the city;
- People who are friendly to strangers
and greet each other on the streets;
- Compact, walkable neighborhoods that
get people out of their houses;
- A “human-scale” skyline that allows
for views of hills, rivers and mountains;
- Open and accessible local government;
- People’s sense that they can act on
their ideas and make a difference in their
communities;
- Sense of safety and “family-friendliness”
(see Urban Livability: Family Friendly);
- The slow, relaxed pace of life and down-to-earth,
laid-back culture;
- Unique neighborhoods with identity
and character;
- The abundance of small, local businesses;
and
- The many parks, community gardens and
other gathering places.
| “More
often than not, people – strangers and
acquaintances – are friendly to each other.” |
| “I
value the feeling of home it gives me.
I know that it is a larger city, but the
way that it is set up—all the parks, the
easy access to public transportation,
and the uniqueness of all the wonderful
neighborhoods—make it feel like a close,
tight-knit community.” |
- Population
growth threatens Portland’s small-town feeling.
- Newcomers may bring attitudes, values and
lifestyles from other places that could undermine
the current sense of community.
- Gentrification and the loss of affordable
housing erode the fabric of neighborhoods
and jeopardize the small-town feeling.
- Increased traffic and other hassles make
Portland feel less like a small town than
it used to.
- A few people worry that condo development
will undermine the small-town feeling by attracting
a certain type of person to Portland who may
not be as friendly or community-minded.
| “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.” |
| “Recently,
there has been an erosion in the livability
of the city. This has been reflected in
a general trend away from the small-town
atmosphere that has bee the norm in the
past…I postulate that this is due to a
decline in affordability and wages, as
well as a perception of a bleaker future
for many Portlanders.” |
|
- Should
we aspire to maintain our small town feeling in the
future?
A clear majority of respondents express strong support for
Portland’s small-town feeling and want to see this
retained, even as the city grows. Many of these people are optimistic that with some effort,
Portland can stay true to its friendly, down-to-earth
ways even as it absorbs new people, values and ideas
from other parts of the country and the world.
A smaller group of respondents would like to see
Portland evolve into a larger, more “cosmopolitan,”
and “global” city, even if that means that some
of the current quirkiness and “small-town feeling”
is lost. These respondents feel that Portland is
currently too much of a “town” and would prefer
to see Portland become more like Boston, San Francisco,
or even New York (for more debate on this topic,
see Urban Livability: Population Growth).
| “[In
the future] Portland retains its flavor as a small,
friendly city built around thriving and diverse
and interesting neighborhoods. It is not like
other places—Vancouver, BC, Seattle, San Diego!
It is uniquely Portland.” |
| “[In
2030 Portland would be] still a medium-size city
but with all the amenities of a large city like
New York or Chicago.” |
| “I
hope Portland has not grown too big. I like the
small town feeling it has. Being able to commute
easily for work and possibly school would be great.
As long as we focus on keeping Portland beautiful
and a family place to live I think it will remain
a great place to be for 20 years.” |
| “I
see more metropolitan. Big city feel and respect.
Major league baseball. Thriving south waterfront.
See arts complex like Limehola Hall instead of
just PCPA. More diversity.” |
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