In retrospect, it may seem like Portland’s biking boom was inevitable. But not too long ago the city was eclipsed by other Pac NW cities for share of bicycle commuters. What happened between 2002-2008 to kick-start the city’s bike craze?
Between 1990 and 2011, many of the largest cities in North America witnessed an increase in their percentage of bicycle commuters. But none has been more dramatic than the spike seen in Portland, where the mode share increased from 1.1 percent to 6.8 percent over that period. Seattle, for instance, increased from 1.5 percent to 3.7 percent.
“What happened? Why did Portland cycling rates increase so much more than other leading bike cities?” ask Michael Andersen and Jonathan Maus, editors for BikePortland. They cite 2002-2008 as the key years when bicycle commuting took off in the city, and propose five possible factors that contributed to its astonishing rise.
One theory involves the influence of instilling fun in pedaling via events led by groups such as Shift. Others include: the work of City staff “advocrats” pushing forward bicycle-friendly design enhancements; intuitive marketing and outreach approaches; and engaged citizen advocates.
FULL STORY: What caused Portland's biking boom?
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.