In case you haven't found a copy yet yet at your local bookstore amongst the piles of Dan Brown and Danielle Steel, there is a new work by a group of Portland State University professors with a plethora of interesting facts and analysis about the city.
Edited by Connie Ozawa, a professor in PSU's Department of Urban Studies, The Portland Edge looks at the successes that have made this one of the most livable and best-planned cities in America, as well as the difficulties confronting us today.
For example, Ethan Seltzer traces the history of regional planning via Metro over the last 15 years. Matthew Witt analyzes conflicts and consensus in the city's neighborhood association program. Gerald Sussman and JR Estes consider KBOO radio as a tool in community development. The great Carl Abbott, who has already contributed so much toward an understanding of urban Portland's past, present and future, sets his sights on downtown. And additional chapters focus on housing, density, livability, transportation planning, and the homeless.
Even within the architecture community, not everybody wants to curl up in front of the fireplace after a hard day's work and read academic writing. I mean, it can get a little dry. But consider buying a copy of The Portland Edge, because it is a very useful tool in understanding the complex web of issues confronting the shaping of the city. We all make generalizations (myself included) about Portland's progressive civic nature, much of the time without properly knowing all of the history and interrelated issues involved. Consider this a solid reference point and, quite often, a surprisingly good read.
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