Cascadia Report

Maybe we're not so 'livable'

Here in Cascadia we're used to hearing that this is among the world's most "livable" places.  It's a squishy, feel-good moniker that obscures our challenges.

Vancouver regularly tops international rankings and Portland is a media darling for its hipster qualities and great refreshments. One shared feature of supposedly "livable" cities is that not many people live in them, notes FT columnist Michael Skapinker.

See also: Decisions that made a great city

Less than 2 million people live within the city limits of Vancouver, Portland and Seattle combined (the city of Seattle just topped 600K) and none rank among the top cities based on global business. I'd prefer to encourage more economic and cultural growth within Cascadia's cities since without clear benchmarks it's unclear how much progress we're making.

None of this takes away from the latest top-cities listings.  Monocle magazine's list of top 25 ranks Vancouver as 14 and includes just one U.S. city (Honolulu at 11). Tokyo (3), Fukuoka (16) and Kyoto (22) make the list -- but there's no Osaka, Yokohama or Sendai, which are all just as comfortable. It's editorial whim.

 

Making room for people and vineyards

Planners in the Portland area are divvying up land for long-term agricultural use and for development. The idea is to get beyond arguments over the region's growth management boundaries.

Farmers and developers -- often at odds on land-use issues -- say the change could provide long-term stability by preserving large blocks of the best farmland while making it clear where cities will grow.

"Once Metro adopts urban reserves -- boom -- we know where growth is going to occur," said Jim Johnson, land use and water planning coordinator for the state Agriculture Department.

Gee, why don't we trying something similar here? Instead the top story in today's Seattle Times is about a sweetheart development deal in rural King County. It seems like forcing development -- without local buy-in or a way to pay for infrastructure -- is bound to backfire.

Death and life of great cities

A few weeks ago, during a long weekend in New York, I found myself wandering Manhattan on a Monday. All the usual museums were closed so I tried a small gem of an exhibit on the life and accomplishments of Jane Jacobs.

Jacobs is the activist who helped save swaths of Manhattan from freeways and urban renewal through the 1960s. She's often credited with the basic idea that walkable neighborhoods inhabited by residents are healthier than impersonal housing projects on "super blocks."

It's a great lesson that's been internalized by planners worldwide. But I couldn't help think the pendulum has swung too far. Instead of protesting for strong neighborhoods it seems neighborhood activism -- often under the guise of Jacobs' lessons -- is simply against development, period.

This describes Seattle, where investment in new buildings in a close-in neighborhood is scorned. The Seattle P-I wrote in sympathy of neighbors of a University District coffee shop who didn't want a parking lot developed because a new building would cast shade on a patio! Never mind the benefit of more residents, workers or customers in the neighborhood. Of course, there's also some backlash to development in Portland and Vancouver.

Even in New York, the protest and NIMBY movement is strong. I choose to remember the row of old two-story buildings being torn down in favor of the Santiago Calatrava-designed transit hub. Instead of hand-wringing, the New York Post brushed off concerns of the tenants, calling the buildings "scuzzy."

So where's the middle ground? I'd vote for transparent development rules and design review. But most important is leadership that can make a clear case for what the city gains from development.

Following the region's skyscraper growth

It's old news that Portland's skyline is growing. Here's a cool tool to see it.

Obviously Cascadia's cities aren't alone. Here's a look at how some of it may be funnelled in downtown Seattle. And in Vancouver.

Don't forget to vote

Tuesday is the primary election in Washington. Since I've been asked, here's how I voted.

For Seattle-area races, take a look at the Municipal League's ratings. I considered the League ratings (I participated in the final ratings), media reports and my own views:

Seattle City Council -- I'm looking for new ideas and signs that a candidate can actually build consensus and take action. Challenger Joe Szwaja in Position 1 and Venus Velazquez for the open seat in Position 3 seem most promising.

Port of Seattle -- The Port needs more stringent oversight, which led me to pick Gael Tarleton (who has a financial-management background) for Position 2 over incumbent Bob Edwards. In Position 5, incumbent Alec Fisken has been a tenacious agitator for transparency so deserves another term.

King County Prop. 1 and Prop. 2 -- I'm a huge fan of parks and zoos, which would benefit from these property tax measures. But I don't support the mechanism behind them. Parks and zoos aren't the lowest priority of county residents so shouldn't be the also-ran issues that the government puts on the ballot almost as afterthought. I don't want to be asked about funding every government priority -- we elect representatives to weigh priorities and to make the case for more overall funding if that's required. These levies continue a bad habit.

Shift freight to rail, cut traffic congestion

Shifting freight traffic to rails would cut congestion and pollution, according to a study by Demographia:

In the Seattle area alone, shifting 25 percent of freight from trucks to trains by 2025 would mean 43 fewer hours in commuting time every year, compared with what is likely to occur otherwise. That same shift also would decrease air-pollutant emissions in the Seattle area by as much as 11,635 tons and save thousands of gallons of fuel.

The trick, of course, is making the change. Improving and expanding the Eastside rail line and also adding rail capacity throughout the Vancouver-to-Portland corridor could handle the traffic. Curbing the subsidy for cars and trucks on freeways would make the shift financially sensible.

Portland has land and plans to expand

It must be nice to have abundant land. Consider Portland's plans to expand its airport in anticipation of future traffic.

The expansion would extend a runway on existing port property, in step with its master plan. It's a contrast to Sea-Tac, which needs to become more efficient within its current footprint.

Portland's isn't the only airport facing a bonanza. Oregon is considering a package of tax benefits for rural airports around the state.

France is more efficient than Cascadia

Here's an interesting take on the contrast in efficiency between Cascadia and France. Guess who comes out on top?

Consider intercity trains:

In fact, I had a bad case of high-speed train envy after taking the TGV from Paris to Marseilles. This trip, which is about the same as going from Portland to Vancouver, British Columbia, takes about 3 hours. The Portland-to-Vancouver trip takes 7 hours on our moribund Amtrak system (and you can't even ride the train all the way there--instead, you have to get off the train in Seattle and ride a bus to Vancouver).

I'm not sure if all the arguments about French households being more efficient translate to the Northwest. But there's plenty to learn on transportation. For example, Seattle is building a proto-streetcar that may one day match what Paris launched months ago.

How Cascadia's cities rank

Since the question came up in comments, a list of the biggest cities in the U.S. and Canada seemed in order.

It turns out to be a tricky question. For example, Seattle ranks as the 12th largest metropolitan area according to the U.S. Census Bureau's list of combined statistical areas. But that definition counts people based on commuting patterns and doesn't include places like Phoenix and Miami. Statistics Canada uses a different set of definitions. Then there's the case of San Diego, which has either 2,941,454 or 4,804,806 depending on whether Tijuana is included.

There are other complications. For example, the five-county Seattle area is 5,800 square miles while greater Houston is over 10,000. The city of Jacksonville (841 square miles) has about 200,000 more people than the city of Seattle (88 square miles). Unless otherwise mentioned, Cascadia Report generally conflates cities and metropolitan areas.

So, just for the record, here's the closest apples-to-apples comparison of the top U.S. metro areas (primary census statistical areas):

1. New York-Newark-Bridgeport -- 21,976,224
2. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside -- 17,775,984
3. Chicago-Naperville-Michigan City -- 9,725,317
4. Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia -- 8,211,213
5. Boston-Worcester-Manchester -- 7,465,634
6. San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland -- 7,228,948
7. Philadelphia-Camden-Vineland -- 6,382,714
8. Dallas-Fort Worth -- 6,359,758
9. Houston-Baytown-Huntsville -- 5,641,077
10. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Gainesville -- 5,478,667
11. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach -- 5,463,857
12. Detroit-Warren-Flint -- 5,410,014
13. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale -- 4,039,182
14. Seattle-Tacoma-Olympia -- 3,991,911
15. Minneapolis-St. Paul -- 3,502,891

Greater Vancouver clocks in at 2,170,976 and the Portland area at 2,137,565. Houston, Atlanta and Miami all passed Detroit in the last five years and Phoenix grew by more than 20%. For comparison, Toronto-Hamilton counted 5,555,912 and Greater Montreal 3,635,571

Here's a list, using a combination of counting methods, of largest population centers in the Americas.

Changing minds about light rail

Residents fight the extension of light rail, claiming it will cost too much and bring changes that will ruin their neighborhoods. They even vote out representatives who favor the project.

Sounds like Seattle during its glacially slow light rail project. But it's what happened in the Portland area over plans to extend MAX southward.

Now the area is coming around. Maybe Seattle-area neighborhoods will be next.

Portland may get into bicycle business

Portland, already known for being pedestrian and bike-friendly, may get into the bicycle-rental business.

Apparently inspiration for the idea comes from France, where nearly 21,000 bicycles will soon be available for public use in Paris alone. Portland's proposal calls for advertising on the bikes to subsidize the program. The question is whether taxpayers, who gladly subsidize the cost of roads, will be willing to pick up the remainder of the tab.

Remove freeways, sure. And provide alternatives

Seattle's waterfront is in political limbo since voters this month rejected replacing the viaduct with new freeways either in a tunnel or overhead. Maybe the idea of a freeway itself is the problem.

Cities from New York to Seoul have replaced freeways without seeing massive traffic jams. In Cascadia, Portland opted for the first MAX line instead of building a new freeway. Vancouver has survived with almost no freeways, yet traffic and sprawl there isn't much worse than in many American cities.

One of the comments on this article correctly points out that cities should be in the business of providing incentives and new options, not eliminating them. That's why adding transit and building more pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods is important.

To get there the author suggests congestion pricing, of course, and a "parking cash-out" system. Here's his definition:

Businesses could be required to give employees commute allowances instead of free parking. Employees could use the allowance to pay for the parking they used to get for free, they could use it to pay for transit, they could keep part of the allowance if they car-pooled to work, or they could keep the entire allowance if they walked or bicycled to work. It is estimated that this policy could reduce commuter traffic (and peak demand for road space) by about 20%.

Cascadia cities need a safety valve

Sure there's healthy rivalry in Cascadia among Vancouver, Seattle and Portland. But between Portland and Vancouver, Washington?

Willamette Week explores the idea that smug Portland benefits in many ways from the Vancouver on the other side of the Columbia River.

Strict growth rules have helped make Portland into what's widely considered a development model. Maybe Clark County, Wash., which has nearly doubled in population since 1990, now functions as a safety valve for Portland?

What if the region's success at controlling growth while still maintaining one of the nation's more robust economies is because of...Vancouver? Or more specifically, because Vancouver has fewer land-use laws and limits on growth? Has Vancouver become a convenient place to handle Portland's overflow, for those who wanted to live, work and play in the area, but who also wanted a bigger yard, lower taxes and a house on a cul-de-sac? All this so Portland could build its light rail, trams and condo towers.

The point is just as valid around the Puget Sound area and in the Lower Mainland. Dense development makes transit and the infrastructure to preserve open space feasible. Where is the safety valve for the region?

Portland transit fans set example by uniting

Transit supporters in Portland seem to have learned that improving transportation isn't necessarily a question of one technology over another.

Fans of extending light rail have joined forces with supporters of expanding the streetcar system to secure funding for both. The alliance is noteworthy because the projects had been viewed as competitors for "a limited pool of financial and political capital," according to the Portland Tribune.

How to save the mix of residents downtown

Cascadia's cities have made housing unaffordable downtown over the years by cleaning up areas of old buildings. Unless they create incentives to boost the supply of housing, they will destroy the mix of people that makes being in cities desirable.

Substitute any city for "Portland" in this passage and it still works:

Portland's vaunted livability attracts people with money. But let's not end up like San Francisco, where dot-com money took over the city, driving the middle class to the suburbs and the poor to the streets.

The Oregonian article addresses laws to maintain affordability. Even more important is investing in transportation to relieve the costly burden of car ownership (insurance, gas, payments and parking) and make privately funded dense housing more attractive. Then allowing taller units near transit and requiring smarter development will increase supply and eventually cut the price of housing.

Oregon lawmakers doing their jobs

Lawmakers in Oregon appear close to doing their jobs. The people's representatives hashed out a tax package Wednesday designed to fund long-term investment in the state -- and they didn't simply refer the issue back to voters.

Even the lobbyist for the Oregon Business Association was impressed:

"To me it's a historic moment," he said. "We finally set partisan politics aside long enough to look at the good of the state."

But wait. On Thursday -- days before the tax plan is formally approved -- Republicans and an outside anti-tax group launched ads attacking Democrats for the proposal.

Don't overlook regional trade

The booming trade between Cascadia and China is important and regularly grabs headlines. But that shouldn't make the key trade across the Canadian border an afterthought. See yesterday's story in The Oregonian: "Canada remains Oregon's No. 1. foreign customer for a fifth straight year."

Imagine if trade within the region got media and political attention commensurate with its economic importance.

Takeover is end of an era, cause for concern

The takeover of Longview Fibre by a Toronto property company represents the abrupt end of an era. It's unclear how Cascadia will benefit.

Family-run Longview was bound to get caught up in the consolidation of the industry. The 80-year-old timber company was barely profitable and as recently as 2004 handled communications by fax and postal service instead of email. Acquisition by Brookfield Asset Management, one of the leading global investors in timberlands, will surely bring the operation up to date.

It's far from clear how acquirer Brookfield Asset Management can afford to pay a hefty premium for Longview's mills and forests. Lumber prices are falling and there will be pressure to cover the debt by cutting costs and selling more. This should concern officials in towns where the company dominates and anyone who believes in the sustainability of the region's forests.

How the rest of Cascadia handles the Olmsted Bros.

Apparently a movement is afoot to replace the long row of cherry trees along Lake Washington with native plants that would more closely follow the original Olmsted Brothers' design for the park. Danny Westneat refers to this as "botanical correctness."

There are similar Olmsted designs in Vancouver and Portland. Any idea how they've handled updating these master-designed parklands that help make the cities so liveable?

Portland is changing in small ways

Portland is being transformed by thousands of small development projects resulting from an influx of young people to the still relatively affordable city. An article in The Oregonian argues that the small scale of most projects allows residents to collaborate on neighborhood plans and lessens the controversy of the city's growth.

Build rail transit to help the environment

Here's another reason to invest in rail transit along the I-5 corridor from Vancouver to Portland: the environment.

Of course it will cost billions, but we should begin the process with the money we have amassed in recent years. If we don't, we'll never be able to afford it. Ticket revenue would defray a portion of the cost, and productivity gains will help offset the cost.

If we add tolls along the corridor based on the amount of car traffic, the economics of a rail alternative would improve even more.

New push for alternative energy in Oregon

Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski called for a cap on carbon dioxide emissions and creation of a trading system designed to reduce the state's output. He said the proposals would stimulate business in the state:

"You know we've turned a corner when Wall Street banks are telling you that investments in renewable energy and other technologies to combat global warming are among the largest economic opportunities now and in the coming decades," he said.

Electricity production reportedly accounts for 42 percent of the state's greenhouse gas emissions. Kulongoski would have a task force propose details of a cap-and-trade system while he advances bills to promote biofuels and require a quarter of Oregon's energy to come from renewable sources by 2025.

Tolls may not be enough

Tolls wouldn't generate enough revenue to cover the costs of a new road near Portland, according to a new study. The results suggests that tolls won't work if there are feasible alternative routes or if the tolls are too high.

Timber mills getting into alternative energy business

Timber companies are burning wood waste to produce energy, taking advantage of high power costs and tax incentives designed to encourage alternatives to fossil fuels.

Since Congress reauthorized a federal energy production tax credit for biomass, solar and wind power last month, at least three mills in Oregon are advancing biomass energy projects, according to the AP.

Report: Cascadia cities among the world's costliest

A new report says Cascadia's cities are among the world's least affordable, with Vancouver ranked 13th worst, Victoria 23rd, Seattle 36th and Portland 60th.

The report, by research firm Demographia, focuses on the ratio of home prices to income. It rightly notes the imbalance between supply and demand, but dismisses the role of interest rates and robust local economies.

Another oversight: It doesn't mention the cost of transportation, which makes big cities such as New York and Tokyo less prohibitive than the report suggests. If transit options in Cascadia enabled the average family of four to live with one car instead of two, saving at least $400 per month, even pricey housing would be more affordable.

The report says land-use rules are the biggest culprit:

Various planning strategies have driven up the price of housing, such as land rationing (urban growth boundaries and infill requirements), extravagant amenity requirements, excessively high infrastructure fees and approval processes that are unnecessarily lengthy and complicated.

Portland wants more flexible growth rules

The Portland-area's regional government is asking the state for more flexibility in growth rules in order to cope with the continuing increase in population. It's tempting to think that more flexibility sooner may have helped prevent the backlash against growth-management rules.

Here's what Metro wants:

More time to choose the next batch of communities. New ways to raise money for roads, sewers, schools and other essentials. And the ability to line up land for future development while permanently protecting the best farming areas.

Venture funding climbs to post-2001 high

Venture capital funding of businesses in Washington rose 29 percent last year to the highest level since the tech bubble in 2001. Roughly 100 companies raised about $1 billion last year.

Total funding rose nationwide too -- by more than 8 percent. But, in Oregon, funding dropped 39 percent to $111 million.

Urge to speak shows the politics of Cascadia

It's speech-giving season -- Cascadia's city politicians included. The way they handle themselves shows differences in the region's politics.

President Bush gives his State of the Union next week and Canada has its throne speeches. Now Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan, capitalizing on a centralized local government, has adopted the tradition by giving the first such speech by the city's mayor that anyone can remember.

Portland Mayor Tom Potter used his address to outline a long-term vision for the city. The speech was well received so Willamette Week added a small bit of controversy by asking popular former mayor Vera Katz what she would say. The result? A call for more specifics and support for charter revisions that would streamline city government and make planning decisions easier.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels hasn't scheduled his speech yet. But it's already been upstaged by members of the city council, who are elected citywide and consider themselves mini-mayors -- a structure that hamstrings decision making. This year they even decided to make mini "State of the City" speeches highlighting their goals for 2007.

Comcast to charge more for cable TV

Comcast is raising fees for cable TV in the Portland area by 4 percent, a move it says is needed to cover investments to improve service. It isn't charging more for Internet or telephone service, markets where it faces competition.

In the Portland area, the cost of Comcast's standard service has increased every year for the past decade at several times the rate of inflation, according to the Oregonian. Satellite and fiber-optic systems are still too small to compete, said David Olson, director of the Mt. Hood Cable Regulatory Commission.

With the latest rate increase, Olson said the cost of standard cable has ballooned 117 percent from a decade ago, when Congress deregulated most price controls over the cable industry under the provisions of the 1996 Telecommunications Act. General consumer prices in the Western United States increased about 33 percent over the same period, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Portland's mayor puts focus on long-term city plan

Portland's popular mayor, Tom Potter, appears to be betting his term on a project to create a 20-year strategic plan for the city. Creating this kind of long-term plan for the future is exactly what top leaders should do.

Some residents question whether the vision is as important as fixing immediate problems like potholes, according to The Oregonian:

"It's almost like we're concentrating on the people who are moving here more than the people who are here now," said Bonny McKnight, an East Portland neighborhood activist.

The obvious alternative is city planning by the most vocal current residents, who often have more stake in preserving the status quo. If top leaders don't plan for future residents, who will?

Portland-area port improving rail access

The Port of Vancouver, Wash., authorized the first purchase of land allowing a more efficient rail connection, making the port more accessible and presumably more competitive.

Improved access to rail and highways is a major hurdle in Seattle and Vancouver, which are hemmed in with clogged roads and limited rail capacity. The most dramatic access project on the West Coast is the Alameda Corridor in Los Angeles, which also continues to snag more traffic from Cascadia rivals.

Portland restores more nonstop flights

Alaska Airlines is starting its first transcontinental flights from Portland, restoring business-friendly service the city lost years ago.

The flights from Portland to Boston and Orlando will be the first such nonstops since Delta dismantled its Portland hub in the 1990s. Before deregulation of trans-Pacific flights, Delta operated daily nonstops from Portland to at least six cities in Asia and major cities in the U.S. It dropped almost all of those when it was allowed to shift the flights to Los Angeles and Atlanta.

The flights are another win for PDX, which has gradually wooed airlines to restore nonstop service -- a key amenity for area businesses. Incentives are behind Lufthansa's nonstops to Frankfurt and Northwest's to Tokyo. Presumably Alaska also sees potential profit in restoring nonstops.

Health care tops business agenda in Oregon

Improving health care coverage was the surprising theme of a major business conference in Oregon yesterday.

The issue was part of a larger push to make the state's economy more competitive despite the ups and downs of business cycles. One encouraging sign: the governor appointed a high-profile tech CEO as his top economic advisor.

New group aims to market Portland area as a region

Companies on the move are about to get a sales pitch highlighting the economic virtues of the Vancouver-Portland metro area rather than individual cities.

The new Four County Economic Development Corp., mimicing similar organizations across the country, aims to recruit companies, keep businesses from leaving the area and increase the role of the private sector in the area.

Suburbs are the new cities

Seattle's sense of itself could get a healthy challenge next week when Portland author Matthew Stadler talks about how suburbs increasingly have more diversity and vitality than cities.

It's an obvious point to anyone who's visited Bellevue or Burnaby, which are more diverse and affordable than much of their nearby cities. We can quibble with some of the details of his argument, but it's clear that the major cities are now just part of a metropolis rather than its only center. That's a reason why transportation and development issues need to be region-wide rather than just within city boundaries.

Here's how The Stranger describes Stadler's idea:

He wants to reorient the way we read the city, the way we experience it, the way we code it. He also wants a City Beautiful movement—not a movement where beautiful buildings are forced on the public for the improvement of our ugly souls, but, in a Kantian reversal, a movement where the public projects beauty onto buildings.

Cascadia's housing may be the "revenge of the small"

BusinessWeek.com says Portland, Seattle and Vancouver are making such strong efforts to encourage urban housing that visiting them is like going to a different country.

We won't deny the similarities across Cascadia. But there's a big gap among the cities when it comes to the transit and zoning that makes urban housing liveable.

Still, the article highlights progress, including how small, well-designed houses are going onto lots formerly of large single houses with yards. Apparently this offers more liveable space than refitting existing buildings with mother-in-law apartments.

Oregonian losing its statewide reach

The Oregonian appears to be scaling back, threatening its status as one of the last truly statewide papers.

According to its online subscription page, home delivery is now available in just five Portland-area counties and parts of two others. That's a change from truly blanketing the state -- though last I saw it was still available on newstands in far southern and eastern Oregon, as well as in large chunks of Washington. (This was first noticed by Randy Stapilus.)

Papers across the region are losing circulation, of course. As apparently is the case with The O, that's their choice.

Vancouver skycraper latest in regional boom

Plans for one of Vancouver's tallest skyscrapers recently passed a design-review hurdle, the latest sign of a tall-building boom sweeping Cascadia's biggest cities.

The new 59-story hotel-office-residential combination would rival a new Shangri-La Hotel slated for completion by 2008. The projects will dramatically alter the modest Vancouver skyline that has preserved views of the mountains. They could even begin to shift the feel of the city -- if you buy the idea, quoted in the latest issue of Dwell magazine, that the focus on the outdoors has kept Vancouver's urban culture restrained.

Meanwhile Seattle recently approved taller towers, a step that had been verboten since the building boom of the 1980s. Even Portland, with its small blocks and human-scale buildings, may grow taller as it fills underused land near downtown.

The difference from earlier building booms is that channeling growth appears to be a larger part of the calculations, in addition to the vanity of building taller towers. Vancouver, where the first building above 37 stories opened in 2001, needs more office space in the center city to counter sprawl. Seattle's traffic is bad enough to stoke demand for more close-in housing. Concentrating building along Portland's existing transit corridors would maximize return on the investment.

More support for rail in Portland, Seattle

There are signs of increasing support for light rail in both the Portland and Seattle areas, likely thanks to familiarity with the technology and mounting frustration over congestion.

In the Portland area, two out of three people polled support extending light rail across the Columbia River into Clark County, Wash. That's a reversal of the 2-to-1 opposition in a similar poll a decade ago. Plans call for a new I-5 freeway bridge with space for rail to connect with Portland's growing system.

In the Seattle area, preliminary route plans for rail to the Eastside were approved this week. It's notable that all the small cities in the area support the light rail plan, a major change from substantial opposition to plans in the 1990s. What's changed is that the first segment of Seattle's light rail is about half finished and area traffic is worse than ever.

None of this suggests that transit agencies should get a blank check. Details of financing need to be worked out any additional rail lines need to be coordinated with buses, congestion pricing and land-use changes to optimize demand for the new services.

Portland project tries new approach to lure residents

Developers of a new riverside neighborhood in central Portland are luring residents by coordinating social events to simulate the connections typically found in existing urban communities.

The neighborhood was built from the ground up on formerly industrial land south of downtown on the Willamette River. Its approach is based on several projects in British Columbia, according to The Oregonian, and differs from typical developments in the nearby Pearl District, where shops and restaurants predate the community.

Business struggles for stance on Oregon tax plan

Business groups in Oregon are struggling to find a common position on a proposed increase in corporate taxes.

Gov. Ted Kulongoski suggested about $300 million in additional taxes to fund basic education, health care and other state programs. Oregon reportedly has the highest personal income taxes in the nation, but corporations pay less than 5 percent of the state budget, the smallest share of any state, according to The Oregonian.

The question is whether Republicans, who last month lost control of the legislature for the first time since 1989, are willing to end a 20-year trend of tax cuts. Business groups appear divided on the issue. Nike spokesperson Julia Brim-Edwards told The Oregonian that the company supports a tax increase because it would fund investments to make Oregon a better place to live and work.

Law puts Portland-sized area up for grabs

In the two years since Oregon voters passed a law requiring governments to waive development restrictions or pay for lost value, claims have been filed covering more ground than the entire Portland metropolitan area.

The total number of claims could swell to at least 4,600 by the Monday deadline, according to The Oregonian. Seattle's Plum Creek Timber delivered proposals late last week, part of a plans that would allow houses on 32,000 acres of coastal timberland. Statewide, farms and forests will likely mingle with subdivisions, transforming growth hotspots like the Portland area, Medford, Hood River and Bend.

A similar measure failed last month at Washington's polls, partly out of concern over its implementation. The key point remains citizen frustration with inflexible land-use laws. One Oregon claim applicant is quoted as saying she voted for the measure because she wanted to send a message to lawmakers: fix planning rules that don't work. The issue won't be resolved unless leaders take action.

Project aims to bring luxury to Oregon

A hotel renovation project in Portland aims to create Oregon's first four-star luxury lodging, the latest in a trend that's bringing more upscale properties to the region.

Kimpton Hotels is remaking Portland's Fifth Avenue Suites according to specifications required for the Mobil Four-Star rating. Predictably, local tourism officials see the project as a step toward that elusive goal of being "world class."

"To have a four-star Mobil property in Portland will put us on the map as a luxury destination," the director of the Oregon visitors association told the Oregonian. "When people think of Portland, and Oregon, they think of us as casual and laid back. But it's not all hiking and biking and brewpubs."

Several similar luxury projects are proposed or underway in Seattle and Vancouver. The new Portland hotel, to be called the Monaco, is supposed to open in 2007 and hopes to get the four-star rating -- currently awarded to 119 properties in the U.S. and Canada. Holders of that rating already include Seattle's Fairmont Olympic and the Bellevue Club. The seven British Columbia properties include the Four Seasons, Metropolitan and Sutton Place hotels in Vancouver, the Aerie Resort in Malahat, Hastings House on Salt Spring Island, Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino and Four Seasons Resort at Whistler.

Faster Seattle-Portland trains ahead

Passenger trains would travel faster between Seattle and Portland under plans reported in today's News Tribune.

The new route south of Tacoma would cut the distance and allow faster speeds, shaving six minutes off the total trip by 2010. The move would allow closer coordination with commuter rail in Tacoma and should improve the reliability of passenger service by separating it from tracks used by freight trains.

If Portland can handle strip clubs...

Seattle's voters are about to decide whether to overturn new draconian rules that essentially shut down the city's tame strip clubs. Meanwhile Portland has at least 12 times as many clubs and looser rules than Seattle ever has, according to an excellent story by Jim Brunner in The Seattle Times.

"Would anybody say Seattle is a superior place to Portland because it has fewer adult bookstores or strip clubs? I think that's such a bizarre notion," said Charles Hinkle, a Portland attorney who specializes in free-speech cases and has argued against strip-club regulations in Oregon. "I don't think anybody in Seattle would list that in the top 100 factors as to why they chose Seattle to live."

Somehow Portland still manages to be rated one of the most livable cities in the country. Ditto for Vancouver. Any idea how many clubs they have?

Following Portland's path to prosperity

Portland's livability is the envy of Cascadia's other major cities. A News Tribune columnist came up with a list of seven sensible ways Tacoma (and other cities) might copy from Portland's example:

1. Tax increment financing. Cities need to push the state to allow them to raise money for infrastructure improvements, which spur private investment, by borrowing against future tax revenue. The mechanism is already widely used in other states.

2. A public development commission. Set up a board to handle development and financing of projects, buffering them from constant political meddling. Vancouver did something similar when it redeveloped its waterfront land; in contrast, Seattle is an example of political interference run amok.

3. Build light rail and streetcars. Portland is building a new four-star hotel with 600 rooms -- and just 35 parking spaces. That's possible because of the efficient train links to the airport and around the city.

4. Elect leaders with vision. Politicians need to articulate a vision beyond and endless cycle of more taxes for more amenities. And voters need to demand that leaders articulate what makes their city livable.

5. Stick to an urban growth boundary. Focusing development encourages a balance between supply and demand while providing critical mass for services.

6. Give people a say. Respond to grassroots movements, like the ones in Portland to build a riverfront park instead of a freeway. The opposite would be to follow the conclusion of the recent Seattle Times poll advocating rebuilding Seattle's viaduct freeway. Politicians are already using the conclusion as cover, even though it polled just 400 voters, 40 percent of whom were over 60 years old.

7. A downtown university. Portland State University began as a downtown extension center and now sprawls for blocks, encriching the city. Tacoma may do similar with its University of Washington campus. What are other keys to success in other cities?

Portland rail project hits familiar obstacles

Portland will break ground on the area's first commuter train line on Wednesday, extending the light rail system farther into the city's suburbs. Of course it's under fire from critics.

The TriMet project will run 14.7 miles between Wilsonville and Beaverton, adding passenger capacity along the congested I-5 corridor. The trains will run on track owned and used by a private freight railroad, connecting park-and-ride lots through the suburbs to Portland's light rail system by mid-2008.

That's not good enough for critics, who point out that the $117 million project is expected to serve only 4,000 passengers a day by 2020. The claim tha the project won't take enough cars off the road is the same criticism still faced by Seattle's Sounder train and likely by West Coast Express in Vancouver.

In fact, the investment on fixed passenger-rail infrastructure is exactly what Cascadia needs in order to focus development, curb sprawl and lessen pollution from cars -- as the region grows. Let's hope the scrutiny makes TriMet pull off the project efficiently so similar the idea spreads.

Bicyclists getting a say in city planning

Does urban cycling in Seattle have enough momentum to go anywhere? Or is recent planning yet another exercise in spinning our wheels?

Those are the questions of a feature in The Seattle Times Sunday magazine about Seattle's new plan to connect bike trails and make sure that road projects include provisions for bicycles. The city currently compares poorly to Portland, which has 156 miles of bike lanes, 68 miles of off-street paths and 30 miles of bike boulevards, according to the story. (Seattle has 25 miles of bike lanes and 37 miles of paths.)

In Portland, the amount of bike commuting has tripled in the last 15 years, even as the rate of accidents has decreased. That's partly because 1 percent of statewide transportation revenue has been dedicated to bike and pedestrian facilities since the mid-1990s, according to the story.

It's interesting that the story comes just two weeks ahead of a nine-year $365 million tax levy that would earmark about $38 million for bike-friendly projects. Specifics on what exactly would be done with the money are maddeningly few. The question remains: is it enough?

Picks from Sunday's papers

1. A Seattle Times poll found that 51 percent of Seattleites want to rebuild the waterfront viaduct freeway. One-quarter each wanted a tunnel, a surface-street option or hadn't decided. Unfortunately the poll simply confirms the obvious because cost was apparently the main factor presented to the 400 people who were questioned. An efficient surface-street and transit package would win support if people were told of the construction hassles and massive size of a proposed new aerial viaduct.

2. The strength of British Columbia's economic boom may depend on what the Canadian central bank does with interest rates. The Bank of Canada is expected to leave rates unchanged at 4.25 percent on Tuesday but could indicate plans to cut them in the future. Central Canada's economy is on the ropes, thanks partly to the slumping auto industry. Could a sign of lower rates to help the rest of the country overheat B.C. and Alberta?

3. Polls suggest that Republicans may take the governorship in Oregon, a trend bolstered by a pair of profiles in The Oregonian. Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski, who won in 2002 by 3 percentage points, comes off as a technocrat who doesn't have much to show for his four years in office. Republican Ron Saxton, a Portland school board leader, says a governor needs to take on teachers' unions in order to improve education. Saxton has raised more money to fund his TV ad campaign and could benefit from voter frustration.

4. Seattle-area rental costs are soaring -- a subject Cascadia Report has experienced first-hand. Some neighborhoods have a vacancy rate of less than 1 percent, according to a real estate survey. Rents rose 7 percent in the last year and are expected to climb another 4 percent this year. Blame job growth, a slowing market for new homes and condo conversions for the trend.

Picks from Sunday's papers

1. Cascadia's booming beer and wine industry is learning to throw its weight around. The Oregonian reports that an Oregon booze association has showered $1.2 million on lawmakers. The result, the paper says, is cozy distribution rules and a state government that repeatedly shied away from using beer and wine taxes to cover alcohol treatment and schools during a budget crunch.

2. Roads are crumbling or washing away in national forests across the region. The money to maintain the roads dried up along with the logging industry in the early 1990s, according to a Seattle Times report. Now there's an estimated $1.1 billion backlog on repairs to national forest roads in Washington and Oregon. The decay hinders tourism, housing and fish runs. The story doesn't address the millions of dollars in the government still spends to build roads elsewhere as a logging-industry subsidy.

3. Tillamook is the new Hood River, according to a group that's trying to turn the depressed Oregon coast community into the next outdoor-sports hotspot. The group is using grants and business partnerships to transform the strapped community, which has always made its livelihood from farming, logging and fishing.

4. You can lock them up but then someone has to pay. Washington’s Department of Corrections wants another $175 million to cope with the leglislature's relentless crackdown on lawbreakers. The money would pay for more workers who could operate a prison for another 2,000 inmates.

5. One of the backers of the building boom in Vancouver and Whistler is aiming for a wider legacy. The developer started a charity called Builders Without Borders to build housing in Sri Lanka, Turkey and elsewhere.