Alex Marshall muses on a new T.V. show set in Portland and how distinctiveness is so important to a city's success.
Marshall writes:
"More than a major league sports team, more than an opera house or symphony, having a network set a television series in your city is an announcement, that you have arrived as a metropolis."
The show Marshall is talking about is called "Life Unexpected," and it uses elements of the city like the light rail as set pieces.
"Beyond income per capita, unemployment rate or overall wealth, Portland is a city that is itself and nothing else. That's rare these days."
FULL STORY: Distinctiveness: A Big Secret to Cities’ Success
Portland Proposal Would Suspend Development Fees to Spur Housing Construction
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and Portland Mayor Keith Wilson announced their policy plan Thursday, with the goal to jumpstart housing construction.
Biketown Lives
Despite public perception of its decline, Portland’s bike share system is alive and well.
Portland Transportation Bureau Faces ‘Existential’ Cuts
PBOT’s director says the agency’s impending budget shortfall could imperil even basic transportation and infrastructure services.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure
If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.
Local Governments Sue HUD Over Funding Cuts
A new lawsuit alleges that the Trump administration’s revised guidelines for housing and homelessness assistance funds will decimate key programs.
California Is Retooling its AV Guidelines
The California DMV is proposing a new framework for light- and heavy-duty self-driving trucks that would enhance reporting requirements and pave the way for autonomous commercial fleets.
Proposed Boulder Ballot Measures Call for Impact Fees, Affordable Duplexes
Boulder residents are working to put two housing-related proposals on the November ballot.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions