FROM THE MAYOR

Dear Portlanders,

Two years ago, I launched visionPDX, a City-supported, community-led initiative to create a vision for Portland for the next 20 years and beyond. Since then, thousands of you have shared your hopes and dreams for our city’s future. From community centers and places of worship to small gatherings in homes, we have had deep and rich discussions on the values we share, the challenges we face and the decisions our community must make together.

When I commissioned this project, I wanted to ensure that all Portlanders had an opportunity to participate in this important discussion – particularly those who had not previously been asked to sit at the public policy table.

Since then, I have watched as City Hall filled with hundreds of immigrants and refugees from all over the world who took their voices into Council Chambers to be heard. Our small business community produced a report with hundreds of ideas to encourage local economic development. Students involved in one of our visionPDX grants helped organize and pass a Bill of Rights for young people. Now there are youth conducting research on how they can be better engaged and served in our city.

This vision describes what we want our city to be in the future, the legacy we want to leave our children and grandchildren, and what responsibilities each of us has in solving community problems and creating an intentional future.

Now, I want to see the vision become a reality. After adoption, we will launch initial projects to take action on the vision as quickly as possible. At the same time we will be building a Vision into Action Coalition to organize community, government, business and other partners willing to work collaboratively on ideas expressed in our vision.

A vision is simply a vision. It takes people to breathe life and energy into it. Let us work together to take our community’s vision into the next phase – action.

Tom Potter
Mayor, City of Portland
September, 2007