parks

In 1945 City Club issued a report recommending the creation of a 6000-acre “Municipal Forest-Park,” which ultimately led to the creation of Portland’s beloved Forest Park. Now, more than six decades later, Forest Park faces an accumulation of financial, administrative and environmental challenges: perennial budget woes, balancing preservation with access and combating the dangerous spread of invasive species.

In the mid-1960s, Portland experienced a revo¬lution in public space with plazas designed by Lawrence Halprin and Associates. On September 12, Charles Birnbaum of the The Cultural Land¬scape Foundation will put the plazas into the larger context of the Modern landscape movement in America as part of City Dance—a week-long series of events celebrating Halprin’s work—and will offer strategies for future stewardship.

Audio (play now or download): 

Sep 12 2008.MP3

Vibrant parks contribute to what makes Portland a great place to live, work and play. On June 20, Zari Santner, director of Portland Parks & Recreation, will explore the richness of the city’s parks system and explain how she is addressing the challenges of managing park resources and distributing those resources equally.

On March 14, Citistates Group chair Neal Peirce and Metro Council president David Bragdon will discuss the importance of strategic regional planning, especially in developing parks and urban green infrastructure.

Peirce will discuss how “citistates” – or metropolitan regions – can position themselves to cope with the demanding environmental, economic and social challenges of the 21st century – and especially how they can harness civic forces to promote livability and sustainability.