Practical Lessons From Portland

Bill Fulton visits Portland, and comes back with six practical lessons that other cities can take from the 'planner's nirvana.'

1 minute read

September 9, 2009, 2:00 PM PDT

By Tim Halbur

Planners talk a lot about Portland. This isn't surprising, given Portland's iconic status as the planners' nirvana – the place where planners' crazy ideas get implemented and actually work and make everybody happy. But there's another reason to talk about Portland: It is a place where a lot of things California planners talk about are ground-tested and, most of the time, actually work.

This doesn't mean that every city in California should slavishly follow Portland's example. It's never a good idea to simply point to another city and say, We should just copy them. But it is worth thinking about why Portland does things – and does them successfully – that a lot of other cities can't seem to do.

After a visit to Portland, Bill Fulton concludes there are six important lessons to learn from Portland. The important thing is to apply the lessons to your own town, and not try to recreate Portland.

Thanks to Bill Fulton

FULL STORY: What We Can Really Learn From Portland

Wednesday, September 9, 2009 in California Planning & Development Report

Land Use Oregon

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

Start Learning

Advertise with us

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.