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The ten lane freeway hiding in Rose Quarter Plans

Secret ODOT plans obtained by City Observatory show ODOT is planning a ten-lane freeway through the Rose Quarter Though the agency claims its "just adding one auxiliary lane" in each direction, ... →

By Joe Cortright

1.12.2023

The Week Observed, November 17, 2023

What City Observatory did this week 5 million miles wide of the mark.Portland's regional government Metro, has proposed a regional transportation plan (RTP) that purports to achieve state and regi... →

By Joe Cortright

16.11.2023

Lying about climate: A 5 million mile a day discrepancy

Metro's Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) claims it will meet state and regional climate objectives by slashing vehicle travel more than 30 percent per person between now and 2045. Meanwhile, i... →

By Joe Cortright

16.11.2023

The Week Observed, November 10, 2023

What City Observatory did this week Snow-Job: Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) threatens to slash snow-plowing and other safety maintenance unless it is given more money, while spendin... →

By Joe Cortright

10.11.2023

The ten lane freeway hiding in Rose Quarter Plans The Week Observed, November 17, 2023 Lying about climate: A 5 million mile a day discrepancy The Week Observed, November 10, 2023 More CityCommentary →

What Matters to the Success of Cities

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Economic Opportunity

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

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Widening the I-5 Rose Quarter Freeway

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

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Talent & Prosperity

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

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Housing Markets

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

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Innovation & Entrepreneurship

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

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Metro Economics

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

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Urban Form & Transportation

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

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Distinctiveness

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

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Data & Tools

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

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Kids in Cities

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

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Placemaking & the Consumer City

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

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Portland

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

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Questioning Congestion Costs

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

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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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