Strong Towns PDX

Portland, OR - Introduction to Incremental Development Lecture — IncDev Alliance Do you want to learn more about how you can become a small real estate developer for a project in your neighborhood?  Are you an advocate or local leader looking to encourage better buildings in ...

There are still seats at this incremental development lecture tonight at Revolution Hall, Portland

Free

www.incrementaldevelopment.org/events/portl...

Cc @pnwelcome.bsky.social @strongtownspdx.bsky.social

From 9am to 3pm StrongTownsPDX advocates will be occupying the parking spots between 11th and 12th on SE Ankeny to play games, relax and unwind, build 3D wooden art structures, engage our neighbors in a reimagination of our vacant spaces, and enjoy food and beverages from Workers Tap La Tehuana 2 🎉

Join us Saturday 9/20 as we transform our public parking spaces towards collective art, joy, education, and relaxation!

a grid of 9 types of houses with one word on each photo that says, "We need diverse housing - not just this - built in our communities." Image from ‪Ben Ross‬ ‪@benakl.bsky.social‬ All housing types needed for thriving communities

Inner Eastside for All Ride
Sat, Aug 16
Meet 1pm, Roll 1:30
Colonel Summers Park

End: Ankeny & 28th Rainbow Plaza) to eat & chat about allowing more people to live in our most bike friendly neighborhoods.

with @pnwelcome.bsky.social @strongtownspdx.bsky.social
www.shift2bikes.org/calendar/eve...

List of all the great groups Umbrella is the fiscal sponsor of. The list is on the Umbrella website at: https://www.umbrellapdx.org/projects

The Shift2Bikes listing for the Umbrella ride. It says: Tuesday, August 12, 2025 6:00 PM Umbrella Ride Wonderlove Food Carts, 262 SE Main St, Portland, OR 97214 Up front by the bike racks Alex Steinberger Tue, Aug 12, 2025, 6:00 PM meet at 6, ride at 7 End location: 50 Licks, 2021 SE Clinton St. Do you love Portland's unique bike events like Bike Summer? Do you ever wonder what happens behind the scenes to make them events happen? Do you want to get involved supporting them? Meet Umbrella - an all-volunteer organization that supports street-based culture by providing fiscal sponsorship, bookkeeping, insurance, and guidance to some of Portland's most vibrant and scrappy transportation, art, and activist projects. Join this ride to learn more about the work we do, meet representatives of some of our 15 projects, and find out about ways you can get in on the fun. We do the wonk, so you don't have to! Meet at 6pm hang out and chat then ride at 7pm...worst case scenario, we end up getting soft serve! UmbrellaPDX

UMBRELLA is AMAZING!
They fiscally sponsor many BikeLoud friends like:
@strongtownspdx.bsky.social
@shift2bikes.bsky.social
@bonbpdx.bsky.social
@bike-summer.org
Better Block, Ladds500, PDXWNBR + more!

Ride w them Tues Aug 12 6PM
262 SE Main / Wonderlove Carts www.shift2bikes.org/calendar/eve...

Just a reminder that our Inner Eastside for All Pedalpalooza @shift2bikes.bsky.social ride with @strongtownspdx.bsky.social @bikeloudpdx.bsky.social is coming up this Saturday, August 16. 🏘️

Greg Johnson claims IBR is needed to fight congestion, based on 2019 data claiming 143,000 weekday vehicles: New ODOT data show 2024 volume is 127,000 AWDT, >10% lower. Traffic & commuting have changed dramatically since COVID, which IBR fails to address. cityobservatory.org/ibr_ignores_...

Two car diverters overflowing with flowers including orange nasturtiums. Bike in lower part of photo.

Up early protecting this beautiful diverter from being needlessly removed by City of Portland. @bikeloudpdx.bsky.social @familiesforsafestreets.org @strongtownspdx.bsky.social

Excellent investigative reporting @bikeportland.org on City plans to remove diverters.

Big diverters slow car traffic & reclaim street space for people.

BikeLoud @strongtownspdx.bsky.social Bike Advisory Committee question City motives.
@councilorgreen.bsky.social supports diverters.

Stay tuned..

If you work inside city government, citizen-led initiatives like unsanctioned crosswalks, handmade benches, and painted curb extensions can feel like a challenge. But your reaction says everything to the people who live and work outside of city hall.

Save the date
Inner Eastside for All Ride
Sat Aug 16 2:30P
Colonel Summers Park

w @pnwelcome.bsky.social @strongtownspdx.bsky.social @bikeloudpdx.bsky.social

bsky.app/profile/pnwe...

Thanks to 150+ friends from @strongtownspdx.bsky.social @sunrisepdx.bsky.social @aortarail.org @parkingreform.org @bikeportland.org Depave & Community Cycling Center + @councilorgreen.bsky.social + more joining the July 31 Good, Bad, Ugly transportation ride.

Together we can build the city we need.

Recap and Photo Gallery: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly ride It was a transportation nerd's paradise.

"It's gonna' take all of us and our relationships to really change this city. There's more of us than there are of them, and we can really go and get things done!" — Harper Haverkamp, ride co-organizer

bikeportland.org/2025/08/01/r...

Amidst transit cuts, climate stress, and housing barriers, we continue to gather! Join Strong Towns PDX and friends across the urbanist ecosystem as we come together to build a strong foundation of friendships and joy to sustain us.

Stop by this Saturday for an informal hangout to chat and meet other Portlanders interested in the Strong Towns approach.

Join us this Saturday morning for a fun bike ride to the farmers market followed by the monthly hangout!

We have updated the start and pick up locations for the ride.

Shift Link: www.shift2bikes.org/calendar/eve...

Route Link: ridewithgps.com/routes/51719...

“This crosswalk in Hollywood is near an apartment where seniors and low income residents live and walk to grocery stores, the farmers market, and bus or MAX stops nearby. Traffic coming from I-84, Sandy, and Halsey speed at this intersection, making it dangerous for pedestrians crossing.”

We are so back! Strong Towns PDX members are doers that will roll up their sleeves to fix the issues they see on their own blocks. Hear from a member on why this crosswalk was important to mark:

220 (28%) of the zones are used once. 😂

Absolutely!

A simpler zoning code would help more of our neighbors build the housing, retail, etc. that we need, rather than relying on large out-of-state developers.

We are hindering small, local developers with such a complex and prescriptive set of standards.

When you take the base zones and mix in overlay districts, Portland ends up with 779 distinct zones.

Also PBOT’s own survey data showed that people like and want this plaza. How was this decision made?

As painful as this year’s budget cycle has been, we are not done yet. We will be going through another round of deep cuts next year as Downtown property values continue to fall. We urge PBOT to embrace its role in economic development and help Portlanders build a prosperous city.

The city needs to orient itself towards street treatments which improve local economic conditions and away from low-productivity roads.

One of the core insights of Strong Towns is that streets are a platform for building community wealth. Real, measurable, financial wealth. This plaza treatment, while not perfect, was a potent source of economic development for the city with very little investment required

Strong Towns PDX will host a social afternoon get together on May 29th. Get food at a local business, eat in the plaza, and enjoy coffee or beverages while making new friends!

*Alcoholic drinks must be kept at adjacent Gorges Beer or Moonshot Tavern.*

Join us to work on your Strong Towns elevator pitch!

We'll work together in small groups to craft how we pitch the Strong Towns approach and talk about our group.