Portland featured in new PBS documentary: E2

IHEARTPDX · #1 Posted: **Dec 14, 2008, 6:31 PM**

Okstate · #2 Posted: **Dec 16, 2008, 5:54 AM**

all of those were interesting. Thanks ^

Okstate · #3 Posted: **May 20, 2009, 5:00 AM**

Another PBS broadcast featuring Portland (and Denver and Bronx). Comes on WEDNESDAY MAY 20TH 8 PM EDT. I would definitely mark this one down to watch.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/blueprintame.../overview/549/

cityscapes · #4 Posted: **May 21, 2009, 1:04 AM**

Thanks for posting that, I just watched the show and it was very interesting.

I don't want to give anything away for those who are going to watch, but I didn't like how they made Denver out to be the poster child for urban sprawl. They never mentioned anything about the Denver light rail and the Fastracks projected which would have showed that the city is doing something to offer good transit options for its people, unlike many other American cities.

CONative · #5 Posted: **May 21, 2009, 3:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cityscapes

Thanks for posting that, I just watched the show and it was very interesting.

I don't want to give anything away for those who are going to watch, but I didn't like how they made Denver out to be the poster child for urban sprawl. They never mentioned anything about the Denver light rail and the Fastracks projected which would have showed that the city is doing something to offer good transit options for its people, unlike many other American cities.

Yes, the Denver portion was absolutely ridiculous. It's interesting that many of their shots showed the light rail line (and the pedestrian walk overs at the light rail stops) as they were driving on the highway. Denver already has 40 miles of light rail, and will have over 120 miles by 2017 (the largest U.S. light rail/commuter rail system when complete). Each line will stretch out in every direction of the metro area.

The entire region developed an urban growth boundary years ago through a powerful inter-governmental organization called DRCOG (Denver Region Council of Governments) to stop sprawl. In fact, many developers are very angry about this growth boundary because they can't develop where they want. Not to mention the great inter-governmental co-op with the light rail plan. Dozens of light rail stops have (and will have) extensive transit-oriented developments surrounding each stop that prevents any car use. The metro area has hundreds of miles of bike trails (that was conveniently left out and falsely stated) and it's still expanding (especially more bike lanes on the streets).

WHAT BAD REPORTING. They should have used a Texas city or someone else.

JordanL · #6 Posted: **May 21, 2009, 6:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CONative

Yes, the Denver portion was absolutely ridiculous. It's interesting that many of their shots showed the light rail line (and the pedestrian walk overs at the light rail stops) as they were driving on the highway. Denver already has 40 miles of light rail, and will have over 120 miles by 2017 (the largest U.S. light rail/commuter rail system when complete). Each line will stretch out in every direction of the metro area.

The entire region developed an urban growth boundary years ago through a powerful inter-governmental organization called DRCOG (Denver Region Council of Governments) to stop sprawl. In fact, many developers are very angry about this growth boundary because they can't develop where they want. Not to mention the great inter-governmental co-op with the light rail plan. Dozens of light rail stops have (and will have) extensive transit-oriented developments surrounding each stop that prevents any car use. The metro area has hundreds of miles of bike trails (that was conveniently left out and falsely stated) and it's still expanding (especially more bike lanes on the streets).

WHAT BAD REPORTING. They should have used a Texas city or someone else.

Denver went very wrong, very fast. That was why it was used. I got the impression from watching that the tone was much more "this is the history, and Denver is starting to learn from it". Granted they didn't go over just how "learned" the lesson was.

Using a town like Houston would have been much more apt, but it also would have raised other questions... how realistic, comparatively, is a certain type of city planning in a hurricane corridor? I think they wanted to avoid issues such as this for time's sake.

CONative · #7 Posted: **May 21, 2009, 3:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JordanL

Denver went very wrong, very fast. That was why it was used. I got the impression from watching that the tone was much more "this is the history, and Denver is starting to learn from it". Granted they didn't go over just how "learned" the lesson was.

Using a town like Houston would have been much more apt, but it also would have raised other questions... how realistic, comparatively, is a certain type of city planning in a hurricane corridor? I think they wanted to avoid issues such as this for time's sake.

This is true, but every other city in America went very wrong as well. Why use a progressive thinking and doing city (at least in the last 10 years) as the poster child for this? Even Portland developed a beltline around its city. To leave out the massive Denver metro light rail plan and hundreds of unobstructed bike paths is disappointing and poor reporting in my opinion. The metro area governments are known for working together to create good planning (hence the 119 mile FasTracks, Denver Region Council of Governments numerous planning awards, Denver urban growth boundary, etc.), but the report tells a story that every suburb does its own thing. Kansas City would have been a much better example, or Las Vegas, or Phoenix.

JordanL · #8 Posted: **May 21, 2009, 4:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by CONative

This is true, but every other city in America went very wrong as well. Why use a progressive thinking and doing city (at least in the last 10 years) as the poster child for this? Even Portland developed a beltline around its city. To leave out the massive Denver metro light rail plan and hundreds of unobstructed bike paths is disappointing and poor reporting in my opinion. The metro area governments are known for working together to create good planning (hence the 119 mile FasTracks, Denver Region Council of Governments numerous planning awards, Denver urban growth boundary, etc.), but the report tells a story that every suburb does its own thing. Kansas City would have been a much better example, or Las Vegas, or Phoenix.

Uhhh... Portland doesn't have a beltline...

You're thinking 205 and 217?

CONative · #9 Posted: **May 21, 2009, 4:15 PM**

I was referring to 205. It "semi-belts" a good amount of the metro. Portland's metro is more north-south in direction, so that would be the next thing to a beltline.

Technically, Denver doesn't have a beltline either -- since 25-30% of it is not developed....so it's also "semi-beltline", and the entire eastern part of it's semi-belt was really developed to get to the new airport....not to accommodate suburban sprawl.