This editorial calls on the governments of Portland, Oregon, and its intimately-connected neighbor, Vancouver, Washington, to expand the reach of the metropolitan planning agency whose jurisdiction ends at the border between the two cities.
"In 1978, Oregon voters created Metro, still the only directly elected metropolitan planning organization in the United States. Its responsibilities include growth management, transportation planning and greenspace administration. We can't envisage three more critical, and more connected, responsibilities. Yet Metro's jurisdiction ends at the Columbia River. The result: Clark County, which still seems more adept at producing suburbs than salaries, continues to serve as the relief valve for the Oregon metropolis. That's why some 60,000 of its citizens commute to the Portland area each day, accounting for almost half the traffic crossing the Interstate Bridge."
"This can't continue. The time has come for officials on both sides of the river to begin talking about Washington voters directly electing representatives to the Metro Council. Legislatures in Salem and Olympia need to craft a plan that could win quick approval from congressional delegations."
FULL STORY: Tale of two cities: a romance novel
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
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Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
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Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
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MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
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Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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