permission to use this incredibly adroit observation: " because for every good idea to encourage housing there’s been a worse idea to offset it. " Well said.
“the Urban Land Institute has ranked the Portland metro area 80th out of 81 U.S. commercial real estate markets it monitors.”
Remember Love, American Style? This is Winning, Oregon Style.
Cynical, yes. Kidding, no.
I loved that city, where all our relatives lived, when I was a kid, and in the early 90s & aughts when I lived there.
I expect Trump will serve as a convenient excuse and catchall for Oregon to keep making itself worse. Like trust, cities are much much easier to destroy than to rebuild.
Hopefully a new generation will tire of “progressive” posturing and actually do something positive instead.
I believe that many of the current policies that negatively affect the business/consumer/housing markets were indeed the result of a cheerfully optimistic progressive wish list for social services and environmental protection, and this worked well enough so long as the economy was booming. The list grew, and very little of it fell off.
Instead, we lost the equine patrol and free parking in some of the city parks, like Washington Park.
But since the collapse has solidified and it's pretty apparent to anyone who has a financial interest in how well the urban area does that we're still in the descent stage without even a clear bottom visible, a *significant* part of the problem is that the public service sector--the managers and decision makers--are now following a course that is less aimed at a commercial reset, and more interested in retaining their employment. This is turbocharged by the public employees' unions.
They are steering strategies to allow them to keep their jobs in the short/intermediate term, and the longer term consequences may happen after they retire.
Party analogy- It is 9am. The sun is shining the birds are chirping and there are two people at the party who haven’t left who are still drinking and talking too fast. That sums up Portland. When the party started everything sparkled. Then the responsible people went home(and then moved away), no one cleaned up the mess and the only people left are tweakers. The party is over and the only sparkle comes from broken car window glass on the ground. (I can say this because I am downtown every single day)
I lived there in 1978 albeit for only one year. I moved from NW PA for work and knew there was something amiss even then. True, it was my first time in an urban environment, but I did have four years of military deployments to foreign countries as background.
After that year I moved to Cleveland, of all places, also for work. In comparison, Portland was a bastion of liberalism whereas Cleveland was run by business people with more financial expertise it appeared.
Naturally, I followed Portland's decline even while Cleveland was improving.
Portland today as I watch these episodes reminds me a lot of travels in the Philippines. It was the an era of "if it feels good, do it". Probably an added stressor was Carters ODD/EVEN gas fillup days because of the end of fossil fuels.
It's a sad commentary that the officials running Portland are so seriously devoid of economic sense which I attribute to the centralized education system. Portland is not alone for NYC is headed for the same future.
Do only idiots vote, or could we all be idiots ...... or corrupt?
"Even the most successful of the traditional malls in the Portland area, Washington Square, faces constant churn ." I think part of the reason, based on my visits to Wash Sq, is that all the clothing stores are essentially selling the same trendy stuff that's constantly "On Sale". As for Pioneer Place, I remember when it was built and how excited everybody was. At lunchtime it was always bustling. Now it's like a tomb, particularly the lower level, just like much off downtown Portland.
I worked in the area between 1989 and 1990 and found it to be beautiful. However, one of the people i worked with told me about his property taxes. Even back then they were ridiculous. To the point he was having a hard time justifying living there. This was an engineer at Trojan Nuclear Plant. Not exactly a low pay job. I can't imagine what the taxes are now. So as business les move, people move and tax revenue declines. But on Portland's case the hit is big because even the little guys taxes are big.
Just the free market. It doesn’t mean desolation for all. Ancient cities have also been abandoned. It doesn’t mean a well-run city can’t overcome changes in technology and resulting changes in human behavior to continue to thrive.
These structures are monuments to human engineering. They won’t last as long as a cedar tree nor contribute as much to the environment. Like artwork in a bank, it’s time to find something else. We don’t need to worship our achievements.
Candace Avalos? Nothing visionary about her. I’ve been following Avalos's career since she was on the Citizen Review Committee and working at Portland State University.
She has built a career based on progressive buzz phrases. When reality slaps her in the face, as it did recently after a homeless person with a lengthy criminal history started a fire on her carport, she resorted to the usual buzz phrases: “Let’s hope he gets the help he needs.”
Let’s hope she finally wises up. Incarceration can be very helpful — and cheaper in the long run — if the sentence is meaningful.
permission to use this incredibly adroit observation: " because for every good idea to encourage housing there’s been a worse idea to offset it. " Well said.
I really wanted to hijack that. You beat me to it.
“the Urban Land Institute has ranked the Portland metro area 80th out of 81 U.S. commercial real estate markets it monitors.”
Remember Love, American Style? This is Winning, Oregon Style.
Cynical, yes. Kidding, no.
I loved that city, where all our relatives lived, when I was a kid, and in the early 90s & aughts when I lived there.
I expect Trump will serve as a convenient excuse and catchall for Oregon to keep making itself worse. Like trust, cities are much much easier to destroy than to rebuild.
Hopefully a new generation will tire of “progressive” posturing and actually do something positive instead.
I have a disquieting notion...
I believe that many of the current policies that negatively affect the business/consumer/housing markets were indeed the result of a cheerfully optimistic progressive wish list for social services and environmental protection, and this worked well enough so long as the economy was booming. The list grew, and very little of it fell off.
Instead, we lost the equine patrol and free parking in some of the city parks, like Washington Park.
But since the collapse has solidified and it's pretty apparent to anyone who has a financial interest in how well the urban area does that we're still in the descent stage without even a clear bottom visible, a *significant* part of the problem is that the public service sector--the managers and decision makers--are now following a course that is less aimed at a commercial reset, and more interested in retaining their employment. This is turbocharged by the public employees' unions.
They are steering strategies to allow them to keep their jobs in the short/intermediate term, and the longer term consequences may happen after they retire.
Party analogy- It is 9am. The sun is shining the birds are chirping and there are two people at the party who haven’t left who are still drinking and talking too fast. That sums up Portland. When the party started everything sparkled. Then the responsible people went home(and then moved away), no one cleaned up the mess and the only people left are tweakers. The party is over and the only sparkle comes from broken car window glass on the ground. (I can say this because I am downtown every single day)
BMW...
Break My Window
AMG - Abolish My Glass.
Great article but Portland isn't going to change until Portlandians change and there are no more.dedicated true believers
As a famous man once said, everything the Democrats touch turns to shite
As someone who has lived here since the late 90s, it’s all just very, very sad.
I lived there in 1978 albeit for only one year. I moved from NW PA for work and knew there was something amiss even then. True, it was my first time in an urban environment, but I did have four years of military deployments to foreign countries as background.
After that year I moved to Cleveland, of all places, also for work. In comparison, Portland was a bastion of liberalism whereas Cleveland was run by business people with more financial expertise it appeared.
Naturally, I followed Portland's decline even while Cleveland was improving.
Portland today as I watch these episodes reminds me a lot of travels in the Philippines. It was the an era of "if it feels good, do it". Probably an added stressor was Carters ODD/EVEN gas fillup days because of the end of fossil fuels.
It's a sad commentary that the officials running Portland are so seriously devoid of economic sense which I attribute to the centralized education system. Portland is not alone for NYC is headed for the same future.
Do only idiots vote, or could we all be idiots ...... or corrupt?
Worked in Downtown Portland 1975-1985. Wonderful. We need a new Governor and leadership in Oregon.
"Even the most successful of the traditional malls in the Portland area, Washington Square, faces constant churn ." I think part of the reason, based on my visits to Wash Sq, is that all the clothing stores are essentially selling the same trendy stuff that's constantly "On Sale". As for Pioneer Place, I remember when it was built and how excited everybody was. At lunchtime it was always bustling. Now it's like a tomb, particularly the lower level, just like much off downtown Portland.
Wow, really??‽!!!
Evolution is one thing.
Erosion and abandonment another.
I worked in the area between 1989 and 1990 and found it to be beautiful. However, one of the people i worked with told me about his property taxes. Even back then they were ridiculous. To the point he was having a hard time justifying living there. This was an engineer at Trojan Nuclear Plant. Not exactly a low pay job. I can't imagine what the taxes are now. So as business les move, people move and tax revenue declines. But on Portland's case the hit is big because even the little guys taxes are big.
R.I.P.
sad…
The Seattle Times recently reported that six Selig properties in Seattle were auctioned. These were built in the 70s and were prime real estate then.
Just the free market. It doesn’t mean desolation for all. Ancient cities have also been abandoned. It doesn’t mean a well-run city can’t overcome changes in technology and resulting changes in human behavior to continue to thrive.
These structures are monuments to human engineering. They won’t last as long as a cedar tree nor contribute as much to the environment. Like artwork in a bank, it’s time to find something else. We don’t need to worship our achievements.
We are in an unguided commercial reset.
It would require a populist visionary to optimize the transition--a cross between Tom McCall and Bill Naito.
Do you see anyone out there fitting the description? Candace Avalos, perhaps?
Basically, we're really up the creek.
Former NFL player and Portland native Ndamukong Suh is doing some interesting stuff. Doubt he's interested in politics but he might be someone who can make a difference behind the scenes. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6652544/2025/09/26/ndamukong-suh-nfl-retire-business/
Candace Avalos? Nothing visionary about her. I’ve been following Avalos's career since she was on the Citizen Review Committee and working at Portland State University.
She has built a career based on progressive buzz phrases. When reality slaps her in the face, as it did recently after a homeless person with a lengthy criminal history started a fire on her carport, she resorted to the usual buzz phrases: “Let’s hope he gets the help he needs.”
Let’s hope she finally wises up. Incarceration can be very helpful — and cheaper in the long run — if the sentence is meaningful.