Portland Transport

Category: Land Use

  • “Portland creep” and the density debate

    As most of you are aware, election day is Tuesday, May 15. Portland Afoot and others have thoroughly covered many of the races that are on the ballot, including the races for the open Metro council positions, the Portland city council, and the Portland mayoral race. One set of races that hasn’t gotten as much…

  • UPDATED: Land use/transportation issues on the ballot, other land use odds and ends

    Unofficial election returns on the items discussed in this post: C-TRAN operating level appears to be PASSING, 54%-46%. Clackamas County urban renewal: Both measures 3-386 and 3-388 PASS; 3-386 (which requires a countywide vote, rather than a vote within a proposed or existing UR district) passes with a wider margin (70% for 3-386, 64% for…

  • On market urbanism, zoning, and freedom

    An article on market urbanism, a movement of libertarian-thinking (or leaning) urbanists whose essential case is that suburban sprawl, and other inefficient land use forms, are in significant part the result of zoning codes, parking minimums, and other legal intrusions into the marketplace.

  • The hard part of higher density

    Efficient transit and denser land use go hand in hand; but increasing the density of an established urban area is often difficult and painful. An examination why.

  • Costco, Buy Local and the Carbon Footprint of my Light Fixture

    The hint of a Costco in Rose Quarter had alternative transportation activists up in arms last week. Perhaps the sentiment was best expressed by this tweet: Or, as my husband put it this morning, “once you’ve bought a gallon jar of mayonnaise, you don’t walk it home.” [from @jessicaroberts] I honestly don’t know if this…