What a load of bollocks. Oh, the city needs to make that area "more walkable;" funny, but when I lived in that vicinity 15 years ago, it was much more walkable than the rest of the city. Did things decay that much, or is "walkability" yet another codephrase for "develop the area with lousy hipster apartments until it screams"?

Charrette or Charade?

I lived right there as well. Seemed very walkable to me. Walk to downtown, walk to 21st, no problem. Take the max even.

I also taught a bit there. Sad to see that school go.

It has more real estate value as condominiums and boutique shops.

In Portland, education of future generations and children in general just isn't a priority anymore. This has been true since Auntie Vera promised to make us a "world-class city".

That entire public involvement process listed is a despicable ruse to falsely claim that the public will was considered. That it was even measured and support was shown.

"Charrette or Charade?"

I had to look up the meaning & pronunciation of that first pretentious little word, since I'd forgotten them from its last appearance here. They are pronounced remarkably similarly, accent on the last syllable, "shuh-ret` or shuh-rahd`."

The definition of charade is clearly a better fit:

a blatant pretense or deception, especially something so full of pretense as to be a travesty.

I'm sure they will take your linguistic counseling under advisement.

Go by old French wagon!

Just another word for Merry-Go-Round....
Public opinion is the last! thing the so called planners want to hear.
But, alas, that is nothing new.

Walking into work a couple of days ago (it was that or wait another 25 minutes for the Toonerville Trolley, which I beat to my destination), I passed Lincoln High School. Once again I was overwhelmed with disgust at the current plan. This is one of the newest of Portland's high schools. Many more of them are much, much older and probably in need of attention. But then they're on the East side of the river. Clearly it's all about the "asset", its worth, and the fact that developers need to be fed and not about whether there's anything wrong with the school building itself.

A glimmer of hope this afternoon . . . apparently Eugene has overbuilt and has too many apartments.

This isn't central planing Robert Moses style, it is central planning Joseph Stalin style. All my life as a liberal I've grown accustomed to the right calling me a "commie" -- yikes, now I know what they were taking about. Guess I'm not really a liberal after all.

It sort of *is* central planning Robert Moses style. When he was operating at the top of his game, what Moses wanted, Moses got(one reason his nose was so badly out of joint when Portland didn't follow his proposed freeway nightmare plan). And that's the Moses piece that's missing: Something to do with freeways. It's odd that nobody thought about trying to goose the urban renewal district a few blocks in the direction of 405 so that Vera's dream of a covered freeway could be realized . . . all in one fell swoop! Think of the jobs (not of the traffic fustercluck that would ensue)!

Charrettes and quadrants! What more could the city ask for?

This being Portland and all, we call them "togetherments", not "apart"ments. It makes us feel more secure and inclusive.

^^Oh, Mr. Bogdanski, you gotta steal that.