DESIGN + PLANNING TOOLS FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES
PDX MAIN STREETS
PORTLAND MAIN STREETS DESIGN INITIATIVE
EVENTS
DESIGN TOUR & MAIN ST. AWARDS
Design Awards & Green Building Tour
Saturday, October 14, 2023 12:00-6:00 pm (Tour 12-4 pm, Awards & Happy Hour 4-6 pm)
Join Sustainable Southeast Community Coalition (S2C2) and PDX Main Streets on a sustainable design and green building tour of innovative and inspiring eco-friendly buildings in Southeast Portland! Learn about innovative new developments, adaptive reuse, living roofs, and renewable energy projects in commercial, multi-family, and mixed use developments in Southeast Portland. We'll kick off the event with a ribbon cutting and award at an affordable mixed use project with rooftop solar that helps power housing for 11 SRO units for formerly houseless community members with a unique financing approach, then head to nearby eco-design projects throughout the afternoon with a self-guided tour map at your own pace. We'll end with a final celebration event with live music, food, happy hour drinks and more awards for great leadership projects.
This event is part of Portland's Sustainable Building Week with support from a small Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) mini-grant with organization by Forage Design + Planning. S2C2 is working to raise awareness about green building practices and projects that can model a more climate-responsible future. Some of the tour sites are past Main Streets Design Award winners, and new award winners will be announced for 2023 at an end of tour celebration.
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COMMUNITY PLACEMAKING
Hawthorne Pop Up Plaza + World PARK(ing) Day!
Friday, September 15, 2023 12:00-7:00 pm | SE 37th & Hawthorne
Come celebrate World PARK(ing) Day and help us reclaim the street! We'll be turning parking spaces into parklets, making public gathering spaces, and envisioning what might be possible for a community plaza in the heart of Hawthorne.
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PDX Main Streets is partnering with Hawthorne Blvd. Business Association and Sustainable Southeast Community Coalition (S2C2) to turn 37th Ave south of Hawthorne into a pop-up plaza with games, music, food and family-friendly fun! PARK(ing) Day is a annual open-source world-wide event where citizens, artists and activists collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spaces into temporary public places. Since 2005, PARK(ing) Day has evolved into a global movement. This year we're bringing the event to Hawthorne to test out a kiosk and gather input on a possible future Hawthorne plaza. Learn more at: www.myparkingday.org. See images from past parking day events. Get involved and bring your creative energy to the project -contact us at: ilovepdxmainstreets@gmail.com.
EARTH DAY EVENT
Earth Day Celebration & Peace Pole Dedication
Saturday, April 22, 2023 3:00-4:00 pm | Mt. Tabor Parklet at 50th & SE Hawthorne
Hosted by Sustainable SE Community Coalition with the Hawthorne Blvd Business Association, PDX Main Streets and community partners.
Join us on Earth Day, Saturday April 22, from 3-4 pm as we dedicate these new additions to the peace poles at the Mt Tabor entry parklet. These peace poles display "May Peace Prevail on Earth" representing diverse languages in our community.This year we're adding 12 new languages to the existing three poles and 17 existing languages. These five peace poles and one stone plaque represent 29 different languages. With the war in Ukraine still waging on, we are particularly wanting to extend our heartfelt support to the Ukrainian community and will be having Ukrainian songs and other cultural sharing at the event. The 12 additional languages on the new poles include: Ukrainian, Norwegian, Chinese, Greek, Tibetan, Thai, Polish, Scottish-Gaelic, Persian, Hawaiian, Italian, and Romanian languages.
PDX Main Streets is honored to contribute a new peace pole to the mix to support peace on Earth Day and EVERYDAY, and to foster placemaking and cultural awareness in our communities. View the press release.
To learn more about the Sustainable SE Community Coalition (S2C2), and the Portland Peace Pole Project (P4) - visit www.s2c2pdx.org.
LUNCH & LEARN: Historic Resources Code
Presentation by City Staff + Discussion on Key Issues, Amendments & Advocacy
Thursday, October 28th, 2022 12:00-1:00 pm | Hosted by PDX Main Streets in collaboration with the Hawthorne Blvd Business Association, and other SE Neighborhood Associations.
Portland is updating its Historic Resources Code (HRC) for the first time in several decades. Communities have an opportunity to testify on or before November 3, 2021, 2:00 pm before the City Council. To learn more, PDX Main Streets is hosting this lunch and learn. Join us for a presentation by City Planning staff Brandon Spencer-Hartle, followed by a community discussion on key issues, areas of support or concern, current amendement proposed by the Planning & Sustainability Commission (PSC), and the Portland Coalition for Historic Resources (PCHR).
URBAN DESIGN PANEL
Community-Led Design + Visioning for Resilient Communities
Tuesday, March 16, 12:00-1:00 pm | Hosted by the Portland Urban Design Panel
Heather Flint Chatto, Principal of Forage Design + Planning and Director of PDX Main Streets, will discuss how community based planning and visioning work can lead to greater support for density through creative public engagement and increased design literacy. As a 20 year planner and environmental designer, Heather helps communities identify local area patterns, design priorities and establish goals for future development. Her work has resulted in the PDX Main Streets Design Guidelines now adopted by eight neighborhood and business associations for 12 streets in SE Portland. With Forage, she works to foster adaptive strategies creating re-found spaces and renewed places through sustainable design and planning. Join us to learn more and weigh in on design, policy, planning and visioning opportunities for a more resilient community culture and climate-responsive urban design for Portland.
ALBERTA DESIGN WALK
Design Walk + Talk on Design, Development & Preservation
Thursday, July 15, 2021 6:00-8:30 pm | Hosted by the Concordia Neighborhood Association
Join Concordia Neighborhood Association and PDX Main Streets, for a design walk on Alberta to discuss design features of Alberta's vintage main street. Learn how to identify local area patterns, and participate in a community dialogue about design priorities and goals for future development and/or preservation.
We'll walk for an hour or so, then grab a beverage at a local venue for more discussion.
PRESENTATION
Sunnyside Neighborhood Association Presentation
Thursday, March 11, 7:30 -8:15 pm | Virtual Attendance at Monthly Meeting
Learn how the community developed Main Streets Design Guidelines can help support community-based planning, greater design literacy, and better density with sensitivity. Heather Flint Chatto, Director or PDX Main Streets and Owner of Forage Design will also share upcoming policy advocacy opportunities on new citywide design standards and guidelines (DOZA) as well as the Historic Resources Code Project. The PDX Main Streets Design Guidelines are adopted by eight neighborhood and business associations for 12 streets in SE Portland. A key resource is the "Vintage Buildings Study" which identifies a collection of streetcar-era main street centers across the city that lack any preservation tools and are vulnerable to being fragmented. Belmont, Hawthorne and other key areas in Sunnyside are among these.
EVENTS
DESIGN WEEK EVENT
Refound Spaces & Remade Places: Placemaking & Placekeeping through Adaptive Reuse
EVENT POSTPONED DUE TO CORONA VIRUS
Thursday, August 6, 2020 5:30-8:30 pm | Architectural Heritage Center
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2020 Main Street Design Awards
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Speakers on Innovative Adaptive Reuse
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Exhibit: Photography of Sellwood-Moreland Main Streets
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Join PDX Main Streets for our 2020 Design Awards, speakers, photography exhibits, free food and beverages, and a chance to learn from design leaders and innovative thinkers.
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Sponsors and partners include the Architectural Heritage Foundation, Portland Main Streets Design Initiative (PDX Main Streets), Forage Design and Habitate.
COMMUNITY MEETINGS
Sellwood-Moreland Main St. Design Guidelines Presentations
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SMILE Land Committee Review of the Design Guidelines | Wednesday March 4, 6-8 pm, Location: SMILE Station
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SMILE Meeting Board Review | Adoption Consideration - Wednesday, May 28, 2020, 7:30 pm Online Meeting
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Sponsors and partners include the Sellwood-Moreland Improvement League (SMILE), Sellwood Moreland Business Alliance, Portland Main Streets Design Initiative (PDX Main Streets), Qamar Architecture, and Forage Design.
EVENTS
ART & PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITS
CITY MAKING: The He(ART) of It | Art + Music Show
Pattern, Place + Tools for Growing with Grace
Friday, November 1, 2019 5-9 pm | Floyd's Old Town Coffee Shop​
Join us for a First Friday exhibit featuring Historic Hawthorne photography with new and old designs, live music from Bosso32, food and drinks. A benefit for the Portland Main Streets Design Initiative to help support our Hawthorne's Main Street Design Guidelines work and our Sustainability Scorecard Initiative. Suggested donation of $5-$20, however no one will be turned away.​
Hawthorne Boulevard Main Street Photography Exhibit
September-October 2019 | Palio Coffee Shop
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EVENTS
DESIGN WORKSHOPS
Sellwood-Moreland Main St. Design Initiative
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Design Walking Tour/Community Meeting 2 on Sellwood-Moreland Design, Development + Preservation | Thursday, July 25, 2019, 6:30-8:30 PM | SMILE Station
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Workshop 1: Design, Development + Preservation in Sellwood-Moreland | Thursday, June 30, 2019, 6:00-8:30 PM | SMILE Station
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Sponsors and partners include the Sellwood-Moreland Improvement League (SMILE), Sellwood Moreland Business Alliance (SMBA), Portland Main Streets Design Initiative (PDX Main Streets), Qamar Architecture, and Forage Design.
DESIGN WEEK EVENT
Sustaining Main Streets + Cultural Identity | Thursday, April 11, 2019, 5-8 pm Architectural Heritage Center​
​Join us for a historic Hawthorne photography exhibit, speakers, Main St Design Awards, and launch party celebration as we scale up our past Division Design Initiative into a city-wide project under our new name as the Portland Main Streets Design Initiative (aka PDX Main Streets).
Sponsors and partners include the Architectural Heritage Center, the Hawthorne Boulevard Business Association (HBBA), Portland Main Streets Design Initiative (PDX Main Streets), Qamar Architecture, Habitate, and Forage Design.
EVENTS
DESIGN WEEK 2019 WORKSHOP
Design for Affordability, Resiliency + Sustainability
Monday, April 8, 2019, 3-6 PM | New Buildings Institute, 623 SW Oak Street
Is the current building boom in Portland housing achieving long-lasting, sustainable, and affordable mixed-use housing that will be loved and preserved by today’s millennials and sustained by future generations? A provocative list of panelists will address strategies for making housing both more affordable and more resilient, and bust some myths about recent trends in housing design and development. Participants will be given an opportunity to participate in breakout groups to workshop topics that may contribute to affordability and resiliency including development of a sustainability scorecard.
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Thank you to New Buildings Institute for hosting the workshop and to our event sponsors: PDX Main Street Design Initiative and Sustainable Southeast, Hawthorne Boulevard Business Association, and Forage Design + Planning.
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STREET FAIRS
Powell Community Visioning | Division Clinton Street Fair
Richmond & Creston-Kenilworth Team Up to Gather Community input on a Vision for Powell Boulevard! Saturday, July 27, 2019, 10 am-5pm, visit our booth at 26th and Clinton!
Hawthorne Street Fair Community Visioning
Join us in late August 2019 to see our photography exhibit and learn about the design and planning work we've been doing to identify goals and design priorities for Hawthorne and see our list of special buildings and key sites!
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Partners include the Richmond Neighborhood Association, the Division Clinton Business Association, Hawthorne Boulevard Business Association (HBBA), Portland Main Streets Design Initiative (PDX Main Streets), and Creston-Kenilworth Neighborhood Association, and the Inner Powell Alliance (IPA)
HAWTHORNE DESIGN EVENTS
Hawthorne Main St. Design Initiative
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Hawthorne Walking Tour 2: Lower Hawthorne Design, Development + Preservation | Saturday, February 30, 2019, 10 AM
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Hawthorne Walking Tour 1: Upper Hawthorne Design, Development + Preservation | Saturday, February 23, 2019, 10 AM
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Hawthorne Workshop 2: Visioning for Design, Development + Preservation | Thursday, January 24, 2019, 6:00-8:30 PM
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Hawthorne Workshop 1: Visioning for Design, Development + Preservation | Thursday, November 29, 2018, 6:00-8:30 PM
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Sponsors and partners include the Sellwood-Moreland Improvement League (SMILE), Sellwood Moreland Business Alliance (SMBA), Portland Main Streets Design Initiative (PDX Main Streets), Qamar Architecture, and Forage Design.
ACTIVIST PANEL & FILM
Citizen Jane: Battle for the City
Friday, October 19, 2018, 7-10 PM | NW Cultural Center
The urban Champion Jane Jacobs had a special relationship with the City of Portland over its evolution as a more diverse, mixed, walkable place. A frequent advisor to grass-roots activists in the city, Jacobs championed lively, diverse neighborhoods, and she championed citizen activism against powerful special interests, especially in her home town of New York. Come see this remarkable film on her life's work, followed by a panel discussion on Portland's current situation, and the still-urgent need for citizen activism.
Panelists: Michael Mehaffey, Director, The Sustasis Institute, Heather Flint Chatto, Urban Planner & Cofounder, Division Design Initiative, Allan Classen, Editor of the NW Examiner, Midge Pierce, journalist for the SW Examiner, and Rick Michaelson, developer and preservationist.
Sponsors: Northwest Examiner, Sustasis Foundation, International Making Cities Livable and other partners
REGIONAL COALITION WORKSHOP
Design & Planning Tools to Manage Growth & Change
Tuesday, November 27, 2018, 6:30-9 PM | 237 NE Broadway, Suite 300
Land use & transportation neighborhood representatives, advocates, and interested community members are invited to join District Coalitions from across the city to network with colleagues and bureau staff, learn, and collaborate with fellow community advocates around land use and transportation issues. PDX Main Streets will host a Community Design station to help engage communities around tools for making context sensitive density as new infill is added and will share tools for greater community processes around local planning.
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Sponsors and partners include Central Northeast Neighbors, SE Uplift Coalition, NPNS, and City of Portland Office of Community and Civic Life (OCCL)
PARK(ing) DAY!
Transforming Division Parking Spaces into Parklets!
September 2015 | SE Division + 34th Avenue
PARK(ing) Day is an annual worldwide event where artists, designers and citizens transform parking spots into temporary public parks. Always the third Friday in September. Learn more at www.parkingday.org. This was our first time doing a PARK(ing) Day event and we were thrilled to host this event on Division.
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The Division Design Initiative partnered (DDI) with Architecture for Humanity (AFH) to take over three parking spaces near Roman Candle Bakery near 34th Avenue. We created an outdoor lounge with persian rugs, cafe tables, and shade structures; created an interactive art zone, and a Vision Tree with several of our “Envision Division” suggestion boxes, and created a traffic barrier handcrafted by AFH volunteers from old cupboard doors found at the rebuilding center. There were live musicians, a fouzball table, kids, dogs, ice cream and a dynamic community dialogue. AFH also has a program called “What do you see?” and it was a perfect vantage spot to visualize ideas for what could happen at the adjacent parking lot across the street someday…We gave away free food in support of many wonderful local Division businesses. It was a great event, where we were able to support many different community visions to coexist and foster community input about how we might advance more public gathering space on Division.
Watch a fun video from the event courtesy of Julia Drachman, one of our volunteer partners with Architecture for Humanity.
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Collaborators included the Richmond Neighborhood Association, Architecture for Humanity, Waterleaf Architects, and the Division Design Initiative.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Workshop: Advancing Adaptive, Green, Affordable Housing |
May 19, 2015 | Living Room Realty
Concerned about the lack of affordable housing being built, the increasing number of demolitions and lack of community involvement in major redevelopment of Division, we organized a half-day workshop with community leaders to understand barriers and opportunities to advance more environmentally responsible approaches to housing and explore opportunities to foster greater affordability and adaptive climate-responsive design. Facilitated by Heather Flint Chatto and Ralph DiNola from New Buildings Institute with presentations on zero energy multifamily case studies, and discussion groups with key stakeholders including affordable housing providers, developers, property owners, architects, planners, real estate professionals, neighborhood associations, business associations, city staff from the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and Office of Housing.
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Partners included the Richmond Neighborhood Association, the Division Clinton Business Association, Hawthorne Boulevard Business Association (HBBA), Division Design Initiative, and Living Room Realty.
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