What could better public space and safer places to walk and bike mean for Portland's busy Old Town-Chinatown neighborhood? The community will have a glimpse this weekend in a unique demonstration event.
From Friday, Oct. 3 through Sunday, Oct. 5, non-profit Better Block PDX will transform several blocks of Third Avenue north and south of West Burnside Street in Portland's historic core. The temporary demonstration will include more places for people to walk and sit and a protected southbound bicycle lane on Third Avenue from NW Davis Street to SW Ash Street.
Metro's Regional Travel Options program is a sponsor of the project, along with America Walks, Dixie Tavern, the Oregon Institute of Traffic Engineers and Ankrom Moisan Architects.
Better Block PDX is an all-volunteer group that "seeks to provide low-cost, temporary treatments to activate public space in Portland." The group hopes the temporary redesign will demonstrate potential alternatives to current weekend evening street closures in the neighborhood, which on many Friday and Saturday evenings is teeming with nightlife. Those street closures are scheduled to end in October, prompting local business owners, led by the Old Town Hospitality Group and the Old Town Chinatown Community Association, to work with Better Block PDX on a new design concept that could inspire permanent changes in the neighborhood.
The Old Town Chinatown Community Association supports the project because it aligns with their transportation priorities, said chair Howard Weiner, who has owned Cal Skate Skateboards in the neighborhood since 1984. "The project sits right where the community is," Weiner said. "We want to find ways to make it safer to walk and bicycle for people who live here, work here and visit here."
Fat Pencil Studio, a technical graphics firm based in southeast Portland, provided pro bono design and illustration services for the project. Lead illustrator Adrienne Leverette emphasized that the design was created collaboratively. "We gave input, but the design was driven by a lot of people in the community," Leverette said. She added that the Fat Pencil team was excited to work with a project that had such exceptional support in the community, including local businesses.
Organizers worked with local businesses, residents, community organizations, the Portland Police Bureau and Portland Fire & Rescue to design and build support for the project, noted Boris Kaganovich of Better Block PDX.
"The entire community has banded together in order to bring this concept to life. Folks from all walks [of] life have been coming in and out to help build barricades, share ideas and contribute," Kaganovich said.
"If it wasn't for the community, sponsors and the local businesses this project could not have happened," he added.
Learn more about this event and other Better Block PDX projects
Metro's Regional Travel Options program supports local jurisdictions and community partners working to increase opportunities to walk, bike, share a ride and take transit to create vibrant, healthy communities.