Portland's South Waterfront District Gamble

More than any development in Portland's history, the success of the South Waterfront District plan ""will pivot on the quality of the design of the buildings, streets and landscape -- and the overall vision for the district... None of this will happen without a level of design innovation unprecedented even for plucky Portland. The proposed tall, thin, glassy residential towers, the university buildings, the aerial tram and a fish-friendly urban waterfront have to be great... But if recent experience with the same developers in the River District is any guide, the market will lead the design of the district and its buildings more than the other way around -- an emphasis on the parts rather than the connections."