Urban form is key. Frankfurt a. Main (not much bigger than Portland) has 7 lightrail/subway lines; a dozen commuter rail lines plus buses and streetcars. For this to work you need density...image 5 story multi-family buildings as far as the eye can see, not just in the center but out into the older neighborhoods. Commuter rail serves outlying towns that have cores with retail/services/transit links, etc.
With more bodies comes a lot more retail along key corridors. Local cafes, pubs and parks become defacto gathering places as apartments are small and yards non-existent. Sidewalks, however, can be narrow, especially where cars park up over the curb...very common. And remember, Germans love their cars, but they mainly wash them and drive them on weekends.

The first time I went to Europe I marvelled at how few fat people there were there. I think their walking and cigarette smoking must have something to do with their nice physiques.

The first time I went to Europe I marvelled at how few fat people there were there. I think their walking and cigarette smoking must have something to do with their nice physiques.

So let's roll back the taxes on cigarettes, but only sell them in walkable neighborhoods?

They also cram in these massive malls and multi-story grocery stores (like Fred Meyers but each section separated by floor) in their older urban centers, so that you actually have all of the comforts of the suburbs within walking distance or a subway stop of home.

Actually, they're more like a department store, but instead of a big-box store (which also exist on the outskirts of some European suburbs) are oftentimes built into older historic buildings, or even underground - like attached to a subway system.

High housing density makes these kinds of businesses viable in the central city without relying on massive amounts of (expensive) structured parking. We're starting to see this in the new Downtown and Pearl District Safeways, but the Eastside old streetcar routes (Hawthorne, Division, etc) do not have the net housing density to support any actual businesses besides a few coffee shops.

Eastside old streetcar routes (Hawthorne, Division, etc) do not have the net housing density to support any actual businesses besides a few coffee shops.

Last I looked, there was still a two-story Fred Meyer on Hawthorne and 39th. And New Seasons and Wild Oats grocery stores on Division. There is plenty of residential density on the eastside, in fact in some places the residential population is probably denser than parts of downtown.

I think you all would benefit from having a Costco, Winco, Target or Wal-Mart close to downtown. When I lived there I hated the fact I had to drive all the way out to 82nd or Woodburn to do my Wal-Mart shopping.