Portland is a bellwether for transportation policy; is it going to take a giant step backward? Last month, the Oregon Legislature passed a $5.3 billion transportation funding bill. A central piece of this legislation is
Why we’re talking about Portland’s freeway widening proposal Read Post »
The public wealth of cities is substantial, but under-pricing public assets is rampant There’s an old saw among economists. Â Two economists are walking along, and one of them says, “Look, there’s a hundred dollar bill
Hundred dollar bills on the municipal sidewalk Read Post »
What City Observatory did this week 1. How luxury housing becomes affordable. It’s always been the case that developers build new housing for those at the top end of the market. It’s true today, and
The Week Observed, August 11, 2017 Read Post »
Oregon’s DOT seems to be more concerned with making cars go faster than saving lives Yesterday, we took a look at a recent Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) “performance report” on Portland area freeways. Â One
Dying to widen highways Read Post »
Congestion is increasing in Portland: But not, apparently, because traffic volumes are increasing Traffic congestion reports are just as formulaic as bodice-ripping romance novels. They have a predictable narrative form: our region is growing; it
What a congestion report doesn’t tell us about congestion Read Post »
Another model energy-saving project ignores density and location The National Institute of Standards and Technology has built what it calls a model “net-zero” energy home on its Gaithersburg, Maryland campus. Â The house is festooned with
Is it a net zero home if it has a three-car garage? Read Post »
