Oregon's New 'Big Look'

Can Oregon, Metro and Portland learn from the rest of the nation in their new planning efforts: Regulation and policy, alone, do not produce development.

1 minute read

February 27, 2007, 1:00 PM PST

By Chris Steins @planetizen

"The state of Oregon is taking a 'Big Look.' Metro Regional Government wants a 'New Look.' And the city of Portland is testing 'Vision PDX.' "

Urban planning expert John "Fregonese, 55, went to school in the McCall and Goldschmidt era. He was the major architect of Metro's Region 2040, the 50-year vision for the 25 cities within metropolitan Portland's urban growth boundary. But having taught a lot of the nation what he learned in Oregon, he says Oregon now needs to learn from the rest of the country."

..."Market forces is Metro's new mantra, too. The Region 2040's Plan to guide new growth to town centers mostly has failed everywhere but Portland, Lake Oswego and Gresham. The lesson: regulation and policy, alone, do not produce development."

Thanks to Heather Bissell

FULL STORY: Everyone's 'visioning'; is anyone focusing?

Monday, February 26, 2007 in The Oregonian

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