Despite longstanding ambitions and multiple planning efforts, Portland’s goal of embracing and enhancing the Willamette River as the heart of the central city has only been partially fulfilled. The removal of an expressway and the creation of Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park in the 1970s, and the river’s recently improved environmental quality represent the area’s major successes. However, few
opportunities exist for park visitors to engage directly with the river and Portland’s downtown waterfront lacks vibrancy, largely as the result of difficult or unclear connections to the city’s central business district, surrounding neighborhoods, and the eastside. Additionally, public use of the park, a regional amenity, is restricted during summer months due to the dedication of a large swath of the park for limited-access events. The implementation of visions from prior plans over recent years has been hampered by City fiscal constraints. WATERMARK PLANNING is developing an activation plan for revitalizing the central city's westside waterfront. This plan will include a description of existing conditions, relevant findings from case studies, and recommended implementation strategies. The final product will harness ideas from prior City plans and current City planning efforts, and draw upon public input and international best practices to highlight opportunities along Portland's waterfront. The activation plan will inform the Central City 2035 Plan and The River Plan. WATERMARK PLANNING is a team of 6 graduate students completing the Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) program at Portland State University’s Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning. In fulfillment of the degree capstone, Planning Workshop, the team has partnered with the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and other agencies, including Portland Parks and Recreation, to develop the Downtown Portland Waterfront Activation Plan. The plan will support and fits within the timeline of the current Central City 2035 and Willamette River Central Reach processes.
