Michael Mehaffy, Executive Director of the Sustasis Foundation, spoke to the Downtown Portland Association on February 28, 2023, about the city's urban challenges. The full discussion is available here: https://www.sustasis.org/dna-chat

Dr. Mehaffy is an internationally recognized urban development researcher, educator, and consultant. He directs the Sustasis Foundation, an Oregon non-profit focused on urban issues, and has held academic appointments in seven countries. His experience includes consulting for Portland and Metro, teaching at the University of Oregon, and managing the pioneering Orenco Station transit-oriented development.

With a keen interest in Portland's urban successes and lessons, Dr. Mehaffy considers the city a second home, though he now lives in the Columbia Gorge.

On March 10, 2022, a Downtown neighborhood association convened to discuss a proposed Safe Rest Village (SRV) site on Naito Parkway. SRVs, detailed here, offer shelter, case management, and health services, providing a humane alternative to growing tent encampments in Downtown and Old Town.

The PDNA-sponsored Q&A session featured Portland City Commissioner Dan Ryan and Multnomah County Commissioner Sharon Meieran, who addressed questions submitted in advance by neighborhood residents.

Portland's Lan Su Chinese Garden, situated in the struggling Old Town corridor, faces significant challenges from the pandemic, a growing houseless crisis, and racism.

Executive Director Katherine Nye discussed these impacts on the garden during an interview on "The Story," which aired September 28, 2021.

Portland Charter Review Commissioner Melanie Billings-Yun offered an overview of the Charter Commission process and addressed attendee questions. This independent body is convened by the City Council every 10 years to review and recommend amendments to the City of Portland Charter.

For more information on the Charter Commission's work, visit here.

Addressing Portland's significant homelessness crisis, the Southwest Hills Residential League (SWHRL) hosted a panel on practical steps forward. The event featured leaders from four volunteer organizations dedicated to tackling this challenge.

These groups offer diverse solutions: Alan Evans (Helping Hands/Bybee Lakes Hope Center) supports sustainable life changes; Kiley Yuthas (Transition Projects) aids the move from streets to housing; Laura Golino de Lovato (Northwest Pilot Project) assists low-income seniors; and Toni Wallick (Home Share Oregon) connects homeowners with those needing shelter.

Michael Montoya addressed the Pearl Neighborhood Association (PDNA) Board Meeting on September 9, 2021.

He serves as the interim head of the City of Portland's Office of Community & Civic Life.

Montoya was appointed interim director in May 2021, following nearly two years as the bureau's strategy, innovation, and performance manager.

William Mitchell delivered a talk titled "Portland: A Black Perspective" on July 1, 2020.

This event was hosted by the Pearl District Neighborhood Association in Portland, Oregon.

This video is a companion to "Portland, Unhoused," an article featured in the Fall '18 issue of our newspaper.

It deeply explores the subject through the perspectives of residents and workers. Read the full story.

In 2017, Sy Adler and Jim Irvine interviewed Don Mazziotti, a key planner involved with Oregon's Statewide Planning Goal 10, which focuses on accommodating needed housing. Mazziotti's extensive career includes serving as Beaverton's Community and Economic Development Director, heading the Portland Development Commission, and acting as Portland's chief planner in the 1970s. He also held roles as Oregon's chief information officer and U.S. deputy assistant secretary of transportation.

This oral history is part of "People and the Land," a collaboration between the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development and Portland State University. Portland State University Special Collections provides digital access for personal, educational, and non-commercial use only. Commercial reproduction, distribution, or screening is prohibited.

Architect, scientist, and humanitarian Sergio Palleroni highlights the significant imbalances humans have created on our planet. He emphasizes that local, community-generated actions, coupled with education and student involvement in real projects, are crucial for global well-being.

Palleroni advocates for these efforts as key to mending societal fabric, preserving indigenous communities, and improving living standards worldwide. This event was organized by www.blog.arkinet.com in collaboration with www.Elisava.net.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown recently spoke with Climate One.

During the discussion, she identified coal and cars as the state's two primary sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

Even with strong public support for clean air and climate action, a powerful out-of-state oil lobby defeated a coalition of Oregon organizations and individuals. This resulted in the failure of the 2015 transportation package.

The outcome surprised many, establishing a new and concerning precedent for political action in Oregon.

Panelists for this discussion include Tom Kelly, Andrea Durbin, and Kristen Leonard.

Urbanist Jeff Speck addresses the problem of suburban car dependence, which he calls "a gas-belching, time-wasting, life-threatening prosthetic device." He proposes making cities more walkable and pleasant to free people from reliance on cars.

Speck highlights Portland, Oregon's early commitment to bicycles and walkability in the 1970s as a successful model. This TEDTalks presentation, published on October 14, 2013, advocates for Portland's "new way" of urban development.

Find closed captions and translated subtitles at http://www.ted.com/translate.

This panel discussion, presented on November 4, 2005, and published April 9, 2015, examines Portland's evolving approach to homelessness. It contrasts Mayor Bud Clark's 1985 "12-Point Plan" with the city's 2005 "10-Year Plan to End Homelessness," questioning how strategies have changed and why new outcomes are anticipated.

Moderated by Gretchen Kafoury (former city commissioner and Portland State University faculty), the panel featured three key community leaders. Erik Sten, City Commissioner, discussed the city's program. Genevieve Nelson, co-founder of Sisters of The Road, shared insights from a survey of 400 homeless individuals. Lisa Schroeder, a business owner and co-chair of the Downtown Retail Council, provided the downtown business perspective.

Ramon Ramirez, President of Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN), also known as Northwestern Treeplanters and Farmworkers United, was the keynote speaker at the University of Oregon Ethnic Studies commencement ceremony on June 17, 2013.

He emphasized, "Our work with farmers and immigrants is part of the larger goal to build a society based on respect and equality for all."

The Portland Development Commission (PDC) presents "Minority Entrepreneurs in Technology," a discussion on the challenges faced by minority entrepreneurs growing tech businesses in Portland. The video features Andres Montgomery (Dreem Digital), James Pritchett (Glance ID), Dwayne Johnson (Ideal Portland), and Ben Berry (AirShip Technologies), alongside Patrick Quinton from PDC.

This insightful discussion highlights their experiences and the support needed for success in the technology sector. Produced by John Cárdenas at the Portland Development Commission, this video was published on November 28, 2012. For more information, visit the Portland Development Commission.

On October 23, 2009, City Club welcomed former Oregon Board of Higher Education members Kirby Dyess, John von Schlagell, and Donald Blair.

Appointed by Governor Kulongoski in 2004, they served until 2008, tasked with creating an innovative, entrepreneurial system to stabilize university income and costs. They discussed their experiences and how outdated organizational structures reportedly hindered their ability to achieve these higher education goals.

A local news story provides further context: Higher Education Leaders Say Structures Hindered Goals.

The Oregon Values & Beliefs Study, conducted every decade by DHM Research, presents its latest findings. This year's study was sponsored by the Oregon Community Foundation, Oregon Public Broadcasting, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), and Oregon State University.

Join Adam Davis, founder of DHM Research, and Dr. John McConnell from OHSU's Center for Health Systems Effectiveness, with Think Out Loud host Dave Miller. They will discuss how Oregonians value education, healthcare, the environment, and other key issues. Davis brings over 30 years of public opinion research expertise, while Dr. McConnell is a distinguished health economist.

This solution tackles pollution, water waste, and aesthetic problems of surface parking lots in Portland, Oregon. Inspired by NPR's "Building Sponge City" concept (January 2015), the content was curated by Ruth Ann Barrett of EarthSayers.tv.

A multidisciplinary team developed this initiative, including Mary Vogel of PlanGreen (Regenerating Communities), Kelli A. Grover of Firwood Design Group (Surveying, Engineering, Planning), Maria Cahill of Green Girl Land Development Solutions (Cost-Effective Storm Water Infrastructure), Suenn Ho of Resolve Architecture (Architectural and Urban Design), and Marianne Zarkin (Landscape Architects).

Upon moving to Portland's Old Town/Chinatown neighborhood in April 2014, I observed numerous buildings marked "U" for unsafe, two within a single block. This area reportedly has the city's highest concentration of such structures, a regrettable situation for a city proud of its built environment.

A December 2014 update includes a presentation on Unreinforced Masonry Buildings (UMB), available here.