Midtown Blocks Urban Design Proposalfrom the hills to the river

December 2014

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe Midtown Blocks have long been a gap in Portland’s vision for a string of parks running from the north end of downtown to the south. The City was never able to acquire the all the blocks and has only built parks on two of the eight blocks. The rest are developed with a variety of buildings and uses.

This report proposes abandoning the north/south orientation of the Park Blocks and, instead, using the Midtown Blocks as a permeable urban environment in which to create the east/west connections the central city needs.

These east/west connections will draw a growing residential population in the West End through the Park Blocks to retail and jobs in downtown.

This report proposes a phased development that includes adopting design guidelines that create a high quality streetscape and identifying three particular east/west streets to be developed as easily recognizeable pedestrian thoroughfares.

The ProblemWhat should be done with the blocks between the North and South Park Blocks?

While the original vision for the Park Blocks was of one continous string of parks from north to south, that is not currently possibe with buildings occupying most of the remaining Midtown Blocks. Therefore, the City needs to create a plan for the future development of these blocks.

The character of the Park Blocks changes through downtown. The South Park Blocks (area 1) are very green, wooded, and have an institutional character. The Midtown Blocks (area 2) are intensely urban. The North Park Blocks (area 3) are shaded and somewhat unwelcoming.

While the original vision concluded at the North Park Blocks, contemporary visionaries have endeavored to connect the park blocks all the way to the northernmost riverbank. This link is interrupted by a stretch with no parks (area 4), then picks up again in the Pearl District with three veery different styles of parks interwoven into a mixed use urban neighborhood (area 5).

Over time, the original North and South Parks Blocks developed indepentendly of each other. The South Park Blocks became more institutional while the North Park Blocks remained largely residential until the decline of the nearby rail yard. Today the South Park Blocks serve a growing residential population while the North Park Blocks are largely empty.

The Midtown Blocks are surrounded by some of the most active blocks in the city, but have suffered neglect due to their confused purpose and the failure of the City to follow through on implementing a development strategy. This sets the tone for the area and is difficult to overcome in the institutional memory of people.

EARLY VISIONThe concept of the Park Blocks existed even in the early years of Portland. Lownsdale set aside a string of blocks from his holdings to be turned into open space. Ladd did the same with his land to the north, but Stark refused to contribute land from his much smaller plat between the two. As a result, there was inevitably going to be a small gap in the Park Blocks, but the City of

Portland hoped to acquire the land as it became available.

Unfortunately, when Lownsdale and his wife died without wills, the remaining handful of Lownsdale blocks that had not yet been developed into parks were sold off by the family. At that time, the City had just begun to buy land for Washington Park and, without the budget for acquisition, passed on

their chance to purchase the final blocks. The fate of the Midtown Blocks seemed to be sealed.

A HOLE IN THE FABRICFor decades, the plight of the Midtown Blocks has hounded the City. Several plans and visions address their development, most advocating for completing the original vision of a promenade of parks that extends the entire length

Backgroundof downtown Portland.

Without the Midtown connection, the Park Blocks have developed independently, with different characters and uses not as a spine to downtown

CHANGING NEEDSPortland has changed a great deal since the proposal of the Park Blocks in the 1850s. The age of the ship and train has come and gone, replaced by the personal automobile, which dramatically changed the fabric of downtown with its demand for parking. Portland has installed mass transit in the forms of buses, streetcars, and light rail. The city has expanded well beyond the east bank of the Willamette River and is now home to over 600,000 people.

The city has also gained a global reputation as a livable city that emphasizes sustainability wherever it can. This has all made it a very attractive place to live and the region anticipates over 2 million additional people in the next two decades. Portland will need to become denser as well as more efficient about its provision of resources.

Existing ConditionsMost of downtown Portland and the Midtown Blocks in particular, is zoned for mixed use, meaning these blocks must meet a variety of needs. The Midtown Blocks are adjacent to a residential neighborhood, a retail core, a cultural core and within walking distance of the office and government blocks of downtown and the densest neighborhood in the city: the Pearl District.

It is a heavily studied area of downtown, subject to many plans, designs, and visions. The Central City Concept 2035 and West Quadrant Plan distill the

expectations of broader plans and inform the scope and structure of more focused plans.

HUMAN SCALEThe study area has a unique characteristic in downtown in that, instead of the traditional 200’ x 200’ blocks, the Park Blocks are half blocks and the streets on either side, SW 9th and SW Park Avenue, are also narrower than surrounding streets. The two form a couplet, one flowing north, the other south, each with one lane of traffic and two lanes of parking. These narrower streets, around narrower blocks,

are even more human scale than Portland’s typical blocks (which are already hailed as very walkable and welcoming), begging for more human activity and a very special development.

TRANSIT CONNECTIONSPortland already has a many north/south connections and downtown alone has five (out of 13) north/south streets dedicated to the streetcar and MAX. Broadway is a softer connection, but still noteworthy and the Park Blocks and Waterfront create two more soft north/south connections. In

contrast, downtown Portland only has two east/west MAX streets and two bicycle streets (which don’t even run the whole breadth of downtown).

RETAILThe Midtown Blocks are flush with a variety of reatil including regional anchors and local businesses. The streets are lined with restaurants and shops and the area is a popular place for developing hotels. The area houses the Fox Tower and is a block away from Pioneer Place Mall, both of which host entertainment, dining, and shopping opportunities.

Existing ConditionsARCHTECTURAL VARIETYThis area of town includes a large variety of architecture that spans two centuries of development. The level of investment in the blocks and the popularity of the area has ensured that several older buildings have been preserved and/or rehabilitated. To the north, the blocks are characterized by exteremly tall, modern construction.

HEIGHTThis are of downtown is part of the “red crescent,” meaning it is where some of the tallest buildings are allowed to be built. Adjacent to the

west is a zone of the second tallest height allowances. This creates an ideal synergy among the various uses of a downtown: residential, employment, retail, and civic.

DESTINATIONSThese blocks are home to or adhacent to several important Portland civic and retail destinations. These include Nordstrom, Target, Pioneer Place, Pioneer Square, several government buildings, the art museum, and the central library. These create regional draws while setting the Midtown Blocks up as a funnel of sorts.

RecommendationWhile it is tempting to hold to sentimental visions, Portland needs to abandon the emphasis on using the Midtown Blocks to complete the Park Blocks, focusing instead on developing more east/west connections. While no plans have necessarily recommended this for the Midtown Blocks, the plans for downtown and the central city are very clear in their expectation that downtown Portland will develop more east/west connections.

ORIENT TO THE RIVERThe plans also call for more orientation to the river, recognizing the river and the waterfront as underutilized resources. This indicates east/west connections from the hills to the river rather than additional parallel north/south connections.

These new east/west connections should connect both banks of the Willamette River as parts of the central city, therefore, they should be conceptualized as extending beyond Front Street to the east bank.

DRAW PEOPLE THROUGHThe West End is a largely residential neighborhood to the west of the Park Blocks that has been targeted for immense housing growth in response to the population increase Portland will experience. To the east of the Park Blocks is downtown Portland’s retail, commercial, and employment core. Portland’s downtown retail requires more people to support it, which can come from additional residents of the West End. Those residents will need access to shopping, entertainment, and jobs

Recommendationshould prepare for that. Also, the proposed freeway cap would be sited between Lincoln High School and the Midtown Blocks, potentially feeding even more people through the blocks on their way to the retail core, waterfront and beyond.

EMPHASIZE STREETSCAPEA great deal of downtown land is streets, which the City owns and has control over. Streets are the most efficient way for the City to effect change in the Midtown Blocks. Development in the Midtown Blocks should only be done with an

eye to the pedestrian atmosphere of the area. These blocks are already the most human scale in the city and that should be capitalized upon.

The streetscape should prioritize people over vehicles. In order to underscore the new east/west connections and draw West End residents through, these blocks need to be attractive to people. They need to employ the very best street design techniques available today. This is part of creating a sustainable, livable city, which supports Portland’s reputation.

in downtown and they will need to cross the South Park Blocks to get there. The Midtown Blocks in particular, connect to the retail core and should become more porous to pedestrians, drawing them eastward.

FUTURE IMPACTSThe West Quadrant Plan proposes two large projects that will directly impact the Midtown Blocks. The Green Loop will be a cycle track that loops downtown and the central city. Part of it will run along the Park Blocks, therefore, development in the Midtown Blocks

ProposalA phased development of the streetscape of Park Avenue and SW 9th and along adjacent blocks of Salmon, Alder, and Stark.

Phase 1Design Guidelines

Phase 2South Midtown

Phase 3Central Midtown

Phase 4North Midtown

Outcome & Results

1. The Midtown Blocks develop relative to the adjacency and health of their particular phase

2. The identity of the Midtown Blocks is maintained through common design guidelines

3. Segementing the Midtown Blocks into “chewable” phases allows for them to develop in a way that reflects their position in the city and downtown

Phase 1: Design GuidelinesCreate a design district and develop design guidelines that will dictate the high quality and character of streetscape around the Park Blocks and adjacent blocks.

Apply them at two levels: primary and secondary. Primary design guideliness will have more instructions and apply to the blocks of Park Ave, SW 9th, as well as adjacent blocks east and west on Salmon, Alder, and Stark. Secondary design guidelines will have fewer instructions and apply the the other adjacent blocks to the east and west of Park Ave and SW 9th.

Proposed guidelines

1. Designate a design district or multiple districts around the Park Blocks and adjacent blocks of Salmon, Alder, and Stark.

2. Emphasize facade improvements such as cleaning, painting, use of awnings and hanging signs, and incorporation of lighting to highlight architectural details.

3. Remove curbs and use a paving pattern such as that of Director Park to create a more pedestrian environment.

4. Cretae uniform elements such as art, colors, street furniture, awnings , or paving that are applied to Salmon, Alder, and Stark in order to highlight them with a different character from the other east/west streets.

5. Reduce Salmon, Alder, and Stark to one lane for cars and a smaller lane for bicycles, using a median to separate the two. Return the extra space to the pedestrian realm.

6. Emphasize corners and install terminus and gateway structures.

Phase 2: South MidtownExisting Conditions/AnalysisThe South Midtown Blocks abut Portland’s cultural district, lending them a more institutional character These blocks have already seen a great deal of recent development and this zone has strong retail, plenty of parking, and one of downtown Porland’s newest civic spaces: Director Park.

This zone is well connected with transit via east and west MAX lines as well as north and south streetcar routes. These blocks have very strong retail that spills over from adjacent streets.

Anchor retail centers such as Fox Tower and Nordstrom are already a strong draw and Park Avenue West will provide hundreds of new jobs.

Director Park is complete and has set an expectation for the quality of pedestrian atmosphere.

Yamhill and Morrison are healthy and vibrant with retail and activity due to MAX lines on both streets.

Design intervention proposalCreate a business improvement district that includes shops that face the Park Blocks as well as businesses one block east and west of the Park Blocks.

Emphasize Salmon as the street in this zone to be developed as an easily identifable pedestrian route.

Apply the primary street design guidelines to Salmon, Park Avenue, and SW 9th and the secondary street deisgn guidelines to Taylor, Yamhill, and Morrison.

Keep the parking structure as it provides valuable parking, but reimagine it with a lively facade by adding murals, color, lighting, and different stairwell railings.

Open the ground floor of the parking structure along Yamhill, 9th, and Morrison to create an open market. This could be a potential home for food carts in order to develop the parking lot at Alder and SW 10th. It could also serve as a complementary market for the Morrison Bridgehead project, further underscoring another east/west connection.

Phase 3: Central MidtownExisting Conditions/AnalysisThe Central Midtown Blocks feel slightly less developed than the south blocks. These blocks include a surface parking lot that is currently very busy with foodcarts.

These blocks are primarily historic architecture and have a great deal of retail, but no unifying character. An empty historic building at Park and Alder disrupts the flow on Park Ave.

Due to the lack of activity around it O’Bryant Square experiences social problems that make it univiting and sometimes dangerous.

Conditions to build uponLike the rest of the Midtown Blocks, these central blocks benefit from good connectivity with the streetcar and well-maintained streets.

These blocks have a great deal of healthy, old architecture and destination uses such as restaurants, hotels, and retail. They benefit from the energy of the adjacent foodcart block.

Though O’Bryant Square has problems, people generally agree on that and have a desire to improve it.

Design intervention proposalCreate a business improvement district that includes shops that face the Park Blocks as well as businesses one block east and west of the Park Blocks.

Emphasize Alder as the street in this zone to be developed as an easily identifable pedestrian route. (Alternate road: Washington so as not to take up too many of the east-bound streets in Midtown.)

Apply the primary street design guidelines to Alder, Park Avenue, and SW 9th and the secondary

street design guidelines to Morrison, Washington, and Stark.

With the design guidelines in place, sell O’Bryant Square. This takes the park off the City’s budget and adds money to the budget for the area. The sale places the expense of rebuilding on the developer, but the design guidelines still get the City a high quality streetscape and active open space.

Phase 4: North MidtownExisting Conditions/AnalysisNorth Midtown has a confused character. A surface parking lot shares Stark with O’Bryant Square and both historic buildings and tall office buildings line Park Ave and SW 9th. While the historic buildings have charming facades, the large office buildings have empty walls.

These blocks are further hobbled by the high volume of traffic on Burnside, which discourages pedestrian traffic from the North Park Blocks and diminishes this area of Midtown’s capacity as a destination.

Conditions to build uponNorth Midtown’s greatest strength in terms of redevelopment is its proximity to both the Pearl District and the Saturday Market blocks of Old Town. If they can be crafted as a destination, these northern blocks can benefit by drawing pedestrians east from Northwest and the Pearl District and west from Old Town.

These blocks also benefit from multimodal connections such as the streetcar, bike lanes, and well-maintained streets.

Design intervention proposalCreate a business improvement district that includes shops that face the Park Blocks as well as businesses one block east and west of the blocks.

Emphasize Stark as the street in this zone to be developed as an easily identifable pedestriNan route.

Apply the primary street design guidelines to Stark, Park Avenue, and SW 9th and the secondary design guidelines to Oak and Pine.

Consider Ankeny Park as a “Times Square” type destination as it is a central point on downtown Portland geography with many roads leading right to it.

Devise a development strategy for the surface parking lot. Perhaps incentivize development by subsidizing the development of underground parking that, like the Whole Foods parking, spans Stark.

ImplementationForm Based CodeThe first phase of this development is to create a new design district with new design guidelines that apply at two different levels: primary and secondary streets.

The Midtown Blocks are an ideal place to use form based code. This would be a small scale exploration of a new style of zoning for Portland.

Form based code can be used in conjuction with formal zoning and/or traditional design guidelines, providing a great deal of flexibility for Portland to realize the ultimate goal of a high quality streetscape and porous pedestrian zone.

FundingIn a time of shrinking budgets and diminishing confidence in the Portland Development Commission, Portland needs to approach funding for this project creatively and not assuming that PDC will continue in its current form.

A primary source of funding for this phased development will come from the assessments collected in each phase’s business improvement district. Money collected by each BID will only be used in that area’s boundaries and the BIDs will be renewed or dissolved after a certain amount of time.

Another way to fund development in Midtown is with variable parking rates. Downtown Portland charges a flat rate for parking regardless of day or time of day. Increase rates during peak hours, days or events and apply the additional revenue to either a phase-specific fund or a general Midtown development fund.

Additional money will be raised by the sale of O’Bryant Square and further money mau be available from Parks and Recreation.

Key PlayersSeveral parties will be involved in the redevelopment of the Midtown Blocks.

1. The Portland Development Comission

2. The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability

3. The Bureau of Transportation

4. Parks and Recreation

5. Property owners

6. Business owners

7. The Downtown Neighborhood Association

8. The Clean and Safe District

9. Local planners, developers, architects, landscape architects, placemakers, and residents

TimelineThough the Park Blocks vision has been over 200 years in the making, the reality is that redevelopment of the Midtown Blocks needs to move forward in order to stay ahead of development in the West End.

Designation of a design district and drafting of design guidelines and form based code should be completed in the next few years. The City has already lost a chance to enforce guidelines on the Park Avenue West development, which will create a small wrinkle in the new fabric. It may be wise to put a moratorium on new development until the guidelines are in place, though this risks stalling development if the City lags.

The remaining three phases will take decades to complete because streetscape changes usually only happen with new development and the City will have to wait as that occurs in its own cycle. Certain beautifcation improvements such as facade treatments and hanging baskets can happen right away, but it may take many decades to get from a Salmon green street to the Burnside crossing.

Kate WashingtonDecember 10, 2014ARCH521 - Urban Design MethodsPortland State UniversitySpecial thanks to Don Stastny and Patricia Gardner