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.” |
|
