Ben Arico, AIA
AIA Portland Section Director
Dear Members,
In Portland in 1972, the leadership community in charge of shaping the future of the built environment banded together to produce the 1972 Downtown Plan. This leadership community was comprised of civic leaders, elected officials, city employees, architects, private sector participants, and public participants. The plan was aspirational and laid the groundwork for some of the most beloved characteristics of Downtown Portland and its active downtown core, including light rail, a strong urban university, Pioneer Courthouse Square, pedestrian and traffic improvements, and urban residential infill - among many others.
For many, Portland thrived with the guidance of the 1972 Downtown Plan. Flash forward 50 years. Welcome to 2022. The pandemic has highlighted problems that perhaps have always been – to a far lesser extent – plaguing Portland. Now the Downtown core shows physical symptoms of its social ailments and is far removed from its previous role as the vibrant and active center of the city. So much has changed over 50 years. The timing appears right for visioning a new and better future for Portland’s Downtown Core.
I believe that the values expressed at the heart of the city are the spatial messages broadcasted with the loudest volume. In 2022, what are our values? What would make the Downtown Core an inclusive, safe space that both takes advantage of the benefits of downtown location while realizing the real issues of displacement, houselessness, and truly attainable – not just affordable - housing? What must be different about the physical form so that it reflects these more inclusive and welcoming values for people? How can the downtown core link us together and help communities thrive?
My hope is that architects and planners will participate in a community outreach effort. As the profession of architecture acknowledges its role in systemic injustices built into our cultural fabric, our process must include measures to ensure all voices are able to be heard and amplify voices that are often pushed to the margins. Prioritizing an equitable process would help to create a more equitable result. To that end, the AIA Portland section would like to revisit the 1972 Downtown Plan with an active lens for equity, justice, inclusivity, and belonging. We believe this reflective effort will help us consider new opportunities to design a more just built environment.
Revisiting the 1972 Downtown Plan does not mean creating a zoning map with regulations or compiling a list of projects & requirements. The purpose of this exercise would be to imagine what the future Downtown Portland could be, and how design can play a part in it. This will help us be prepared for local discussions about elements of current city plans, which will help us extend theories and topics for discussion and education to the broader AEC community.
If you are interested in contributing to this discussion, or would like more information, I welcome you to join us at our next Portland Section Steering Committee Meeting on March 3rd from 12:00-1:00PM. We will be discussing this item along with other exciting and interesting agenda items. If you have never been to a Portland Section Steering Committee Meeting, please don’t be intimidated. The past few meetings have had 5 or 6 people in them. As your Director, I would love to see more Portland members at our monthly meetings, and it would be a nice way for you all to get to know each other better. You can also email me if you are interested in the Portland plan revisit. We will want people to have the opportunity for robust conversation.
Sincerely,
Ben Arico
Portland Section Director