The Return of Streetcar Architecture

Portland, Oregon sees the revival of building styles not seen since the last time streetcars rolled through the city.

1 minute read

June 18, 2009, 1:00 PM PDT

By Tim Halbur


This article in The Oregonian is an introductory but thorough look at the return of mixed-use and streetcar-oriented development in Portland. Randal O'Toole critiques the movement, while Jeff Stuhr of Holst Architecture talks about some of their new streetcar-type buildings.

"While planners map out details for a modest east side streetcar loop that will open in 2011, the east side's original streetcar arterials such as Hawthorne, Belmont, Alberta and Mississippi are flourishing with the new generation of streetcar buildings.

The first heyday of streetcar architecture was 1900 to 1925. "The classic size was two and three stories," Abbott says. "Now we're getting five and six stories, if you look at what's happening on North Mississippi and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. It's the same, but it's also different. It's higher density than we had 75 or 100 years ago.""

Thanks to Jon

Thursday, June 11, 2009 in The Oregonian

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

5 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

Close-up on BLM sign on Continental Divide Trail in Rawlins, Wyoming.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule

The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

7 hours ago - Public Domain

Calvary Street bridge over freeway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path

Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

April 20 - Smart Cities Dive