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Shortly after Mayor Tom Potter took office, he
began several major initiatives to re-evaluate the
way government operates and to make it more responsive
to needs of the public. More than that, Mayor Potter
believed that the public should shape its own future.
The visioning process was a way to explore community
governance – real community ownership over the decisions
that affect the community.
visionPDX was established to give the community
a “place at the table” to consider the direction
for our future. At the time the project was conceived,
the City of Portland was facing budget cuts, while
demands for City services were growing. The vision
was a way to use the community’s creativity in addressing
some of our biggest challenges, while also celebrating
what we love about our home.
By starting this conversation, Mayor Potter planned
to re-orient local decision-making to be more in
tune with what Portlanders really need and want,
as well as to empower them to take a role in overcoming
the challenges that we face. Mayor Potter wanted
to strengthen existing and create new community
networks that can be self-sustaining, reducing the
burden on local government to solve issues by itself.
We suspected, and it was confirmed, that the community
knows best what Portlanders need and want and what
must be done to get there.
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