Portland Plan Advisory Group – 5/11/10
Meeting Notes
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Portland Building, Room B
Meeting Overview
There were three main components of the 5/11/10 PPAG meeting:
1. Community Involvement Committee (CIC) Update
2. Directions and Objectives Discussion
3. Strategy Discussion and Brainstorm
1. Community Involvement Committee (CIC) Update
Howard Shapiro (CIC Chair, Planning Commission member and PPAG member) provided an overview of the CIC’s role within the Portland Plan. Linda Nettekoven (CIC and PPAG) provided additional information about Portland Plan Phase I outreach. For more information on the CIC, please visit the Portland Plan website: http://www.portlandonline.com/portlandplan/index.cfm?c=50731
2. Directions and Objectives Discussion
Joe Zehnder (Chief Planner, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability) discussed the Portland Plan process and introduced the draft directions and objectives.
A summary of the PPAG’s discussion of the directions and objectives is provided below.
• Equity
o PPAG members discussed whether equity should be an overarching value that is addressed in every aspect of the plan or whether there should be a separate action area that specifically addresses equity.
o The importance of addressing existing inequities in Portland.
o There was a discussion about the tensions between equity and equality and their relationship to good service value. The geographic distribution of the transit system was used as an example of the tension
• City Growth: Cultivate streets – PPAG members discussed the idea of organic development and “planning not to plan.”
• Ambitious v. Practical Goals – PPAG members discussed whether the goals should be very ambitious and visionary “Erase achievement disparities” or more practical and realistic. “Reduce achievement disparities”
• Role of History – Portland is a young and forward looking city that does not often recognize its history. It is important to recognize history and acknowledge how past events effected current conditions and inequities.
• Clarity and Specificity of Goals – Some goals are specific and have measurable outcomes while other, like Equity, Civic Engagement and Quality of Life are soft.
• Background Reports
o PPAG members asked how and if the background reports were used to develop the directions, objectives and indicators.
o The Background Reports, along with information from Phase I was used to develop the draft directions and objectives. Staff that worked on the background reports worked on the directions/objectives.
o Staff is working with Metro on the regional indicators
• Prosperity and Business Success – One PPAG member mentioned that many of these (education, infrastructure, transportation, housing) will be paid for by taxpayers, so the plan should focus on prosperity and business success.
• Missing Issues – One PPAG member mentioned that issues related to the aging of the population are not addressed. Planning for this aging society needs to be at the fore.
• Input Process
o PPAG members mentioned that their comments are not necessarily reflected in the directions and objectives and inquired about the best way to provide feedback and when their comments would be recognized.
o The draft directions and objectives will be revised over the summer at the end of Phase II, after comments have been provided by the community as well as advisory groups. Public workshops are underway and smaller group meetings will continue throughout the summer.
o Specific content recommendations should be sent to Eric Engstrom (eric.engstrom@portlandoregon.gov) and/or Alexandra Howard (alexandra.howard@portlandoregon.gov.)
3. Strategy Discussion and Brainstorm
Joe Zehnder introduced the PPAG to Phase Three of the Portland Plan. Phase Three will focus on refining the draft directions and objectives and developing strategies. The strategies developed in Phase III will form the core of the Strategic Plan and they will set the themes that will focus investments, policies and programs in a 3-year Action Plan and the Comprehensive Plan. To respond to current challenges the strategies must be cross-topic and multidisciplinary, include individual actions that solve multiple problems and efficient.
After introducing the types of strategies that will be developed for Phase III by using the example of 20-Minute Complete Neighborhoods, Joe asked the group to brainstorm ideas for future strategies. Shane Sasnow (facilitator) helped guide the exercise and walked the group through a quick reporting process. The group brainstormed eight strategic ideas.
Idea 1: Healthy people, healthy places, healthy planet
Seed directions
1. Make public decisions benefit public health
2. Green the built environment
Supporting directions
1. Create complete, 20-minute neighborhoods
2. Promote active and green transportation
3. Ensure Portland’s housing is safe, decent and sustainable
4. Promote safety and sense of community
5. Build a stronger economy
6. Strengthen schools as community centers
7. Make healthy food the easy choice
8. Mitigate and adapt to a changing climate
Idea 2: Active clusters
Seed directions
Develop better economic development tools
Supporting directions
1. Cultivate streets as places
2. Engage, listen and act to improve civic engagement
3. Strengthen schools as community centers
4. Protect Portlanders from toxics and pollutants
5. Increase participation in recreation and community activities
6. Build on Portland’s distinctive qualities
Idea 3: Distinctive urban character
Seed direction
Build on Portland’s distinctive character
Supporting directions
Expand Portland as a center of excellence for arts and culture
Create city greenways and river connections
Improve access to the arts
Idea 4: East Portland
Seed direction
East Portland (created a seed topic)
Supporting directions
1. Raise the bar for quality education
2. Create complete 20-minute neighborhoods
3. Make health food the easy choice
4. Portlanders participate in more recreational and community activities
5. Provide a variety of housing choices for different household types
6. Engage, listen and act to improve community engagement
7. Ensure equitable access and outcomes
8. Erase achievement disparities
9. Promote active and green transportation – walking, biking and transit
10. Provide an adequate supply of affordable housing
Idea 5: Enhance Portland’s major centers
Seed direction
Enhance Portland’s major centers
Supporting directions
1. Support equitable access to opportunity through housing
2. Improve access to art
3. Build, manage and maintain an efficient transportation system
4. Ensure equitable access and outcomes
5. Green the built environment
6. Provide an adequate supply of affordable housing
7. Enhance art as an economic development engine
8. Promote active and green transportation – walking, biking and transit
Idea 6: Broaden Prosperity
Seed direction
Broaden prosperity
Supporting directions
1. Raise the bar for quality education
2. Promote safety and sense of security
3. Enhance art as an economic development engine
4. Deliver good service value and stabilize communities to enhance quality of life.
5. Provide a variety of housing choices for different households
6. Ensure equitable access and outcomes
7. Develop better economic development tools
8. Build a stronger economy
9. Weave nature into the City of Portland Erase achievement disparity
10. Build, manage and maintain an efficient transportation system
11. Enhance Portland’s major centers
12. Improve individual access to technology
13. Mitigate and adapt to a changing climate
Idea 7: 20-minute neighborhoods (provided as an example idea)
Idea 8: Weave nature into the city
Seed direction
Weave nature into the city
Supporting directions
1. Green the built environment
2. Ensure Portland’s housing is safe, decent and sustainable
3. Mitigate and adapt to a changing climate
4. Create city greenways and river connections
5. Ensure equitable access and outcomes
6. Cultivate streets as places
7. Make healthy food the easy choice
8. Increase participation in recreation and community activities
9. Promote safety and sense of security