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The Week Observed, February 26, 2021

What City Observatory this week 1. Revealed: Oregon Department of Transportation's secret plans for a ten-lane I-5 freeway at the Rose Quarter. For years, ODOT has been claiming that its $800 mi... →

By Joe Cortright

26.2.2021

Revealed: ODOT’s Secret Plans for a 10-Lane Rose Quarter Freeway

For years, ODOT has been planning to build a 10 lane freeway at the Rose Quarter, not the 6 lanes it has advertised. Three previously undisclosed files show ODOT is planning for a 160 foot wide ... →

By Joe Cortright

24.2.2021

Oregon’s I-5 bridge costs just went up $150 million

Buried in an Oregon Department of Transportation presentation earlier this month is an acknowledgement that the I-5 bridge replacement "contribution" from Oregon will be as much as $1 billion—up ... →

By Joe Cortright

22.2.2021

The Week Observed, February 19, 2021

What City Observatory this week 1. Covid migration: Disproportionately young, economically stressed and people of color. Data shows the moves prompted by Covid-19 are more reflective of econom... →

By Joe Cortright

19.2.2021

The Week Observed, February 26, 2021 Revealed: ODOT’s Secret Plans for a 10-Lane Rose Quarter Freeway Oregon’s I-5 bridge costs just went up $150 million The Week Observed, February 19, 2021 More CityCommentary →

What Matters to the Success of Cities

15

Economic Opportunity

A key measure of economic success has to be whether we provide widely shared opportunities for economic advancement. →

7

Widening the I-5 Rose Quarter Freeway

Should Portland spend $800 million to widen the I-5 Rose Quarter Freeway? →

14

Talent & Prosperity

Talent drives city success: The biggest single factor explaining urban economic success is human capital. →

2

Housing Markets

The creation and allocation of living space within a metropolitan area shapes our well-being and the regional economy. →

3

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Generating new ideas and creating new businesses drives city economies and national economic growth. →

2

Metro Economics

Metropolitan areas are the fundamental organizational units of our global, knowledge-based economy. →

7

Urban Form & Transportation

Density, land use patterns and the transportation system interact to determine how well cities fulfill their fundamental t... →

3

Distinctiveness

Every city has its own unique character and strengths which shape its economic opportunities. →

3

Data & Tools

Quantitative data can shed light on the functions and performance of urban economies. →

6

Kids in Cities

Young adults are increasingly choosing cities--what will happen when they have kids? →

3

Placemaking & the Consumer City

The quality of life in cities is an essential ingredient and contributor to economic prosperity. →

5

Portland

Portland is our home and a local laboratory for many interesting developments in urban living. →

15

Questioning Congestion Costs

It's frequently claimed that traffic congestion imposes high and rising costs on the economy. But is that true? →

Latest from Twitter

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Youth Movement

The movement of talented young adults to dense urban neighborhoods isn't waning, it is widespread and accelerating, and it...

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Driven Apart: How sprawl is lengthening our commutes

The secret to reducing the amount of time Americans spend in peak hour traffic has more to do with how we build our cities...

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The Storefront Index

As Jane Jacobs so eloquently described it in The Death and Life of American Cities, much of the essence of urban living is...

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Less in Common

The essence of cities is bringing people—from all walks of life—together in one place. Social interaction and a robu...

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