What Makes Portland Tick?

It's time to take a deep look at what makes our city unique.

I have been fortunate to live and work in a lot of places: DC, San Francisco, Galway, New York City, and Madrid in the more than 20 years since I finished college. 

And while all of these places (except maybe Galway) register to most as more commercially and culturally significant—Portland stands out to me as the most creative city of them all. At its best, our city is a place with a creative ecosystem wherein those who live here are encouraged and rewarded for pursuing their own unconventional dreams—whether that’s a bean-to-bar chocolate shop, a sneaker company, a bookstore, a food cart, a nonprofit, a restaurant, or an independent film. And for those who understand Portland and love it—this is all very clear. It’s why a lot of things that people love about Portland exist. It’s not about being weird. It’s about being yourself.

All of this said, in the past few years as the city has struggled to come back (by some measures), something has become clear and worrysome. A lot of the efforts we’ve made to empower our city simply have not been considered with enough understanding of our city’s culture.

Plenty of head but not enough heart, and you need both.

So, at a time when we are about to elect a new mayor, 12 city councilors, a pair of county commissioners, and then collectively and radically reinvent how the entire city organism functions for years to come, I would like to offer some of my own observations—from the point of view of someone who has lived and created here (but elsewhere too) for more than two decades. 

1—Portland is a Wildly Creative Place
As cities go, ours is a culture that tends to value original ideas over blockbusters—whether that’s measured by the work of our musicians and filmmakers, the cultishness of our wines, the character of our restaurants, or the scale of our monuments. We tend to make things that hit you in a subtle and heartfelt way—and that explains many of our contributions: Elliott Smith, James Beard, Nong’s Khao Man Gai, Langbaan, Gus Van Sant, Powell's Books and many more. Even Nike fits this mold in a way. Our largest company is massive, but also one of the most beloved brands in the world—far more inspiring than any other company to ever come out of the Pacific Northwest—and there is not even a close second. 

2-Our Best Amenities Were Built for Us
If you think of a city’s most famous amenities, what comes to mind? In San Francisco, it’s a monumental red bridge. In Seattle, it’s a space-aged observation deck. London has a big clock. Paris has a latticed iron tower. Barcelona has a cathedral with never-ending construction. And all of these things are absolutely awesome. However, when you think of Portland’s most famous amenities, they are typically not grand-scale landmarks created with a global audience in mind—they are usually far more intimate affairs—things built by Portlanders for Portlanders and loved by locals and tourists alike. Our Japanese Garden is often revered as the best outside of Japan. Powell’s is a global beacon to the bookish. Forest Park’s 80 miles of quiet, forested trails are maybe the city’s greatest perk. Our restaurants are world-class and recognized as such. What’s unique about all of this is that our attractions most known by visitors are also beloved by the people who call Portland home. We seem to do our best work when we make things for ourselves.

3-We Haven’t Gotten Everything Right—But No Place Has
In the 1970s when most American central cities were losing population and investment, Portland doubled down on the future of its own—taking a unique approach that ended up leading the way in realizing what a mid-tier American city central could be. By prioritizing the human experience with good public spaces, an ambitious transit system, and walkable streetscapes, our city implemented policies and projects that aligned with our city’s ideals and DNA. And in doing so, we built a better central city—and a national and international reputation in the process. In other words, Portland did what Portland does best. It decided it would not be part of the pack. It’s true we haven’t gotten everything right as a city, and there are areas from which we must learn and understand deeply so we can be mindful to do a better job moving forward. However, it’s equally detrimental to our future to not recognize where and how we have been successful. And right now, we’re not doing a very good job at that. 

What’s the point of all this?
With the upcoming changes to our form of government, and a collective opportunity to think and dream big, we have a generational opportunity to make shit happen. We’ll be successful only by tapping into our city’s deep well of creativity in order to make things that Portlanders love and take pride in, and we must consider ourselves as our ultimate stakeholders. We must do this in a manner that takes into account our greatest accomplishments and demonstrates that we’ve learned from our worst failures. Above all, our best work will reflect our own unique DNA. And throughout, we must never settle to be part of the pack. 

I believe in us.