PDX - The Pearl

2015 Urban Land Institute Photo Essay Competition Entry: Accessible Cities

{ Read my thoughts below on how I believe we can make cities more accessible }

The Pearl District - Elevated Boardwalk on NW 13th

Accessibility,

is about the elevation of life within an area and the elements that support it.

Access to housing, a diverse population, gathering spaces, and the accommodation of several modes of transportation, all lend themselves to an open urban environment. Rather than expanding and sprawling out to untouched areas, urban planning should focus on reviving areas that already have the framework in place to fulfill these needs.

The Pearl district in Portland, Oregon harnesses the rich culture and history of its industrial age to create such a place, directly adjacent to the central business district.

It is the rejuvenation of a space once abandoned when Portland outgrew its industrial beginnings. The rail platforms that appear frequently within the neighborhood, have evolved into an elevated boardwalk for outdoor seating and passage for the diverse array of cafés, gastropubs, shops, and residential units that now occupy the warehouses behind. People flock to the many urban parks and public squares that have been installed throughout the area. Pedestrians, cyclists, automobiles, streetcars and buses all comfortably share the road, creating an ease of access to the rest of downtown.

This industrial neighborhood, defined by several major arterials, has returned as an epicenter of activity once again.

The future of urban planning lies not in developing new spaces, but in revisiting the forgotten corners of the already developed ones.

To create successful accessible urban environments, cities should focus on restoring the sad and abandoned places that hide within every developed area, into ones where life can thrive.

The Pearl District - Jamison Square