Comments on: Portland’s Leadership in Smart Urban Planning http://www.stevebozzone.com/articles/portlands-leadership-in-smart-urban-planning Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:27:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: nico http://www.stevebozzone.com/articles/portlands-leadership-in-smart-urban-planning/comment-page-1#comment-36 nico Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:04:01 +0000 http://www.stevebozzone.com/?p=54#comment-36 As a former east coaster myself, I too am often overwhelmed by Portland. Its amazing to see so much of what has inspired me being put into action AND meeting and seeing so many people engaged in the process. It really is like a little utopia. But to your question about these types of projects seeping into greater concerns of poverty and modern slavery, we begin to get into sticky situations. If you're interested and haven't found about it yet, I would check out the Coalition for a Livable Future's website and more specifically their Regional Equity Atlas. It gives a good overview of the issues in the area. Another good resource is this article, you may or may have not seen: http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/29/america/29portland.php In my experience since being here (just over a year now). The conversation mostly revolves around (white) sustainability. Don't get me wrong. I nearly wet myself with excitement any time I see one of our lovely green streets, or learn about our beautiful eco-roofs. But, to me, all too often the whole issue of race/social oppression is left out of the conversation. Yes, its true, Portland may be a progressive hot spot, but its largely a hybrid driving, whole food 's eating, starbucks drinking progressiveness. If you get my drift. Don't get me wrong, there's subversive elements here, probably more then in some areas, and in all the progressive lingo is more ingrained; but for a lot of folks here I think they may have adopted progressive lifestyles trying to fit in. I guess we could argue about the relative merits of that... Which brings me to the statement you made of a place to get some real work done. I totally agree. You're going to have an easier time here trying to get some progressive ideas on the ground; but truthfully, the places that need those ideas more are the places that aren't already at the head of the pack. Not to say Portland doesn't have room to grow, its just that some places have a lot more. Course this is all coming from an East Coast ex-pat too. As a former east coaster myself, I too am often overwhelmed by Portland. Its amazing to see so much of what has inspired me being put into action AND meeting and seeing so many people engaged in the process. It really is like a little utopia.

But to your question about these types of projects seeping into greater concerns of poverty and modern slavery, we begin to get into sticky situations. If you’re interested and haven’t found about it yet, I would check out the Coalition for a Livable Future’s website and more specifically their Regional Equity Atlas. It gives a good overview of the issues in the area. Another good resource is this article, you may or may have not seen: http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/29/america/29portland.php

In my experience since being here (just over a year now). The conversation mostly revolves around (white) sustainability. Don’t get me wrong. I nearly wet myself with excitement any time I see one of our lovely green streets, or learn about our beautiful eco-roofs. But, to me, all too often the whole issue of race/social oppression is left out of the conversation.

Yes, its true, Portland may be a progressive hot spot, but its largely a hybrid driving, whole food ‘s eating, starbucks drinking progressiveness. If you get my drift.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s subversive elements here, probably more then in some areas, and in all the progressive lingo is more ingrained; but for a lot of folks here I think they may have adopted progressive lifestyles trying to fit in. I guess we could argue about the relative merits of that…

Which brings me to the statement you made of a place to get some real work done. I totally agree. You’re going to have an easier time here trying to get some progressive ideas on the ground; but truthfully, the places that need those ideas more are the places that aren’t already at the head of the pack. Not to say Portland doesn’t have room to grow, its just that some places have a lot more.

Course this is all coming from an East Coast ex-pat too.

]]>