more skyline photos:
Showing posts with label Oregon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oregon. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Skyline photos of Portland, Oregon 1
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| Portland skyline, by Aster |
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| Portland skyline, by amycgx |
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| Portland skyline, by sdilullo |
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| Portland skyline, by kylebaker |
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| Portland skyline, by jajoIII |
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| Portland skyline, by joemurphy |
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| Portland skyline, by Matt.Picio |
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| Portland skyline, by El Chupacabrito |
Skyline photos of Boston 1
New York skyline photos 1
Skyline photos of Berlin 1
Skyline photos of Calgary 1
Skyline photos of Copenhagen, Denmark 1
Monday, March 28, 2011
more about Atlanta:Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Transitography 101: The Portland Metro – A Case Study on Regional Government
by
As Miami politicians struggle with decisions like whether to fund the area’s second commuter rail line or how to provide adequate bicycle infrastructure, it may be worthwhile to look at how other American cities approach the challenges related to regional transportation planning and decision-making.
The Portland Area Metro has emerged as a model for sustainable regional governance as it pursues aggressive reductions in vehicle miles traveled, by drastically expanding its bikeway network, making investments in mass transit and encouraging transit oriented development. These decisions are made by a regional governing body: Metro, “an elected regional government, serving more than 1.5 million residents in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties and the 25 cities in the Portland region.”
Metro is the agency responsible for planning the region’s five light rail lines (52.4 miles), a commuter rail line (14.7 miles), a 651 bus fleet, an aerial tram, and, since 2009, the only American streetcar system with cars made in the USA. The entire system logs an estimated 350,000 weekday rides.
Comparatively, Miami-Dade County has a population of 2.5 million residents, has a heavy rail line (22.4 miles), a downtown people mover (4.4 miles), a strained fleet of 893 buses, and one ailing commuter rail line (70.9 miles) - representing just over 400,000 daily rides, and run by competing agencies.
Metro’s transit expansion is only part of its successful mode shift. The region has seen the number trips made by bike double since 1997 . Approximately six percent of Portland commuters now take their bikes to work, the highest percentage in America and about 10 times the national average.
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| Trolley in Portland, photo by Slideshow Bruce |
more posts about public transit in the US:
Light Rail, Primary Arterial Transport
Rapid Transit Closer to Realization as Honolulu’s Rail Project Breaks Ground
High speed rail in Texas: options
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
More Biking Lessons from Portland
Portland’s 2030 Bicycle Master Plan, unanimously adopted by the city council earlier this year, envisions Portland as “a world class bicycling city” by tripling the overall mileage of bikeways in the hopes of encouraging even more people to ride. Meanwhile Metro, a government body elected by the entire metropolitan area, is enacting a plan to triple the number of people biking throughout the region over the next 30 years. Their target goal is that 40 percent of all trips of 3 miles or less in the city and suburbs would be done atop a bike by 2040.
“In some neighborhoods in Portland, 10-15 percent of people already bike each day,” notes Lake McTighe, manager of Metro’s Active Transportation Partnership, “which means that we could be making parts of Portland into a mini-Amsterdam or Copenhagen.”
For those who say that people living in outlying suburbs will never bike in large numbers, McTighe answers by quoting from a study by the National Association of Realtors showing that the second most desired amenity homebuyers want today is access to biking and walking trails. (Access to a freeway is first, proving that it’s not question of bikes vs. cars in most people’s minds.)
Both the city’s and Metro’s plans signal a strategic shift in bicycle planning—a new push to serve more than the 8-10 percent of people who feel at ease biking today. Portland is now focusing on meeting the needs of the 60 percent of people who report in surveys that they’re interested in biking more but feel nervous doing it on streets with cars zooming past.
This means reaching beyond the young, macho, ultra-fit white men we typically think of as urban bikers to broaden the appeal for women, families, middle-aged and non-white riders. In the Netherlands, for instance, where 27 percent of all trips nationally are made on two wheels (and up to 50% or more of all trips are pedal-powered in some urban centers), more women ride than men. Even among people over 75, a quarter of all trips are on bike.
The best way to get more people on bikes, according to Portland officials, is to make biking seem less scary.
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| Portland bike box, by Beach650 |
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| Portland bike trips 2009, by Matt.Picio |
more biking posts:
Sydney Cycle Strategy: Building a Bicycle Friendly City
The real story on Charlestown's bike lane removal
Kane County Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan
Monday, February 7, 2011
Traditional Neighborhoods and Auto Ownership
By Daniel Baldwin Hess and Paul M. Ong
Many cities have traditional neighborhoods, or established, inner-city districts comprised of diverse housing, mixed-land uses, pedestrian connectivity and convenient transit access. This study quantifies the likely effects of land use patterns on auto ownership for such neighborhoods. Using Portland, Oregon, we test a model that explains auto ownership based on household, neighborhood, and urban design characteristics. The index of mixed-land use is statistically significant, ceteris paribus. We find compelling evidence of the impact of mixed-land use on auto ownership: as land use mix changes from diverse to homogeneous, the probability of owning an auto decreases by 31 percentage points. The findings imply that traditional neighborhoods are more conducive to alternatives to private vehicle use, such as walking and public transit, and to higher motor vehicle costs.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
10 enticing urban walkabouts help you explore Portland and its unique suburbs
by Grant Butler
We picked 10 of Metro's itineraries -- five in Portland and five in the suburbs -- of varying degrees of difficulty, so there's a walk that's right for everyone. Want a quick walk that will leave you plenty of time for shopping and eating? Check out the supereasy downtown Hillsboro jaunt, which has fun stops at soda fountains and antique shops. Want the ultimate challenge? Dare yourself to traipse all the way up the West Hills, from the Pearl District to Pittock Mansion. You're sure to sweat and need plenty of breathers for digging the beautiful city views.
Besides getting you off the couch and out for exercise, these urban walks offer great opportunities to learn more about the city you live in, particularly hidden-away parks and historic places. You'll work your brain and not just your feet -- that's a combination that has us gearing up to check out the 40 additional game plans Metro's created.
Bridge, Waterfront and Esplanade Loop
Besides getting you off the couch and out for exercise, these urban walks offer great opportunities to learn more about the city you live in, particularly hidden-away parks and historic places. You'll work your brain and not just your feet -- that's a combination that has us gearing up to check out the 40 additional game plans Metro's created.
Bridge, Waterfront and Esplanade Loop
The walk: Here's one that every Portlander needs to do at least once. Starting at the Hawthorne Bridge, head north along Tom McCall Waterfront Park's river walk, past several fountains where children engage in warm-weather play. You'll cross the Willamette River on the Steel Bridge's skinny lower deck where you may have to dodge a cyclist or two. From here, head south along the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade's suspended and floating walkways, finally crossing the Hawthorne Bridge for a perfect lunchtime loop. Along the way, you can stop for people-watching, read historical placards describing Portland's heyday as a shipping port and drink in the beautiful views of downtown's skyline.
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| Hillsboro, photo by Dan Haneckow |
more about walkability:
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
OREGON TRANSPORTATION PLAN UPDATE: Sustainable Transportation and Sustainable Development
Via Oregon Department of Transportation
A key component of the update to the Oregon Transportation Plan (OTP) is to assess the current goals and policies to determine how well they address existing conditions, forecasted trends and recent policy changes. This paper provides background for updating the Oregon Transportation Plan to include policies that address sustainability. Currently, sustainability is not addressed directly in the OTP although there are several policies that support sustainable practices. This paper addresses the motivations for sustainable practices, outlines practices in the Oregon Department of Transportation, Oregon, the United States and Europe, and makes policy recommendations for the OTP update.
What is Sustainability
Sustainability is creating a balance between the economy, social needs, and the environment in order to ensure healthy and equitable lifestyles and resources for future human, plant and animal communities. ORS 184.421 defines sustainability as follows:
“Sustainability” means using, developing and protecting resources in a manner that enables people to meet current needs and provides that future generations can also meet future needs, from the joint perspective of environment, economic and community objectives.
Sustainability puts equal emphasis on environmental quality, economic health and social equity. Economic and social development should not harm the environment within a global context and, if possible, should improve it. Sustainable economics maintains a distinction between “growth” (increased quantity) and development (increased quality), the notion of quality over quantity. Put another way, natural capital, social capital and economic capital are three interdependent forms of community wealth. Natural capital includes both nonrenewable resources (such as petroleum and coal) and renewable resources (such as wood and solar power). Social capital includes all of the human contributions and involves social equity; all people have the right to equitable return for their work, adequate food and shelter, and a healthy community.
Economic capital is not based on the growth in dollar value of goods and services, as the Gross National Product is, but is premised on the provision of needed goods and services for healthy human and natural communities. Goods and services may be provided without the exchange of monetary resources. All of the impacts of the provision of these goods and services should be accounted for, including the costs to the environment and society, and the costs that are subsidized through taxes or other transfers.
“Sustainability” means using, developing and protecting resources in a manner that enables people to meet current needs and provides that future generations can also meet future needs, from the joint perspective of environment, economic and community objectives.
Sustainability puts equal emphasis on environmental quality, economic health and social equity. Economic and social development should not harm the environment within a global context and, if possible, should improve it. Sustainable economics maintains a distinction between “growth” (increased quantity) and development (increased quality), the notion of quality over quantity. Put another way, natural capital, social capital and economic capital are three interdependent forms of community wealth. Natural capital includes both nonrenewable resources (such as petroleum and coal) and renewable resources (such as wood and solar power). Social capital includes all of the human contributions and involves social equity; all people have the right to equitable return for their work, adequate food and shelter, and a healthy community.
Economic capital is not based on the growth in dollar value of goods and services, as the Gross National Product is, but is premised on the provision of needed goods and services for healthy human and natural communities. Goods and services may be provided without the exchange of monetary resources. All of the impacts of the provision of these goods and services should be accounted for, including the costs to the environment and society, and the costs that are subsidized through taxes or other transfers.
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MAX Train in Downtown Portland, Oregon, photo by travelportland |
more articles and reports about sustainable transportation:
Reclaiming the Streets on World Car Free Day
Have Streetcars Adequately Demonstrated Their Development-Generation Potential?
The Pedestrianization Fever Moves South
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Top 20 Urban Planning Successes of All Time
Via Public Servant Blog
Planning a great yet functional urban area takes innovation as well as knowledge. The following top 20 urban planning successes of all time range from the Taos Pueblo to the current functionality presented by Camden Town, London. In between, you’ll discover plenty of examples of urban planning that stood the test of time or that successfully remedied the ravages of time.
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| Granville Island, Vancouver, source: Google Maps |
- Amsterdam, Netherlands: The capital and largest city in the Netherlands, Amsterdam has flourished from the 14th century. In the early 17th century, a comprehensive plan was developed that was based on four concentric half-circles of canals with their ends emerging at the IJ bay. Today, with little expansion, only 20 percent of trips around the city are in a car. Amsterdam is one of the most bicycle-friendly large cities in the world.
- Billerica Garden Suburb, Massachusetts: Incorporated in 1914, Billerica offered the country’s first garden suburb designed specifically for workers. Modeled after Ebenezer Howard’s English garden city designs, Billerica combined a limited dividend corporation with co-partnership. Workers would own their homes by purchasing shares. The result was the construction of 70 new homes between 1914 and 1917.
- Granville Island, Vancouver: Read more
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