Jamison Square, Portland, Oregon

Jamison Square is a new park in an urban renewal area of downtown Portland, Oregon.

A unique interactive water feature attracts hundreds of young families on warm days.

Jamison Square, Portland, Oregon

Where: It is a new (2002) park in an urban renewal area of downtown Portland, Oregon.

Size: Full city block, 0.94 acres

Landscape Architect:

Peter Walker + Partners (also did Millennium Parklands, Sydney)

It was a great place, with a wonderful community atmosphere. It was perfect!

Features Pool/fountain

Grassy area with shade trees

Bocce area

Sculpture

Formal trees

Restaurants/cafes adjacent

The water

Shallow semi-circular basin

Water cascades over block wall to fill the pool

Every 5 minutes the pool empties completely (tidal pool)

Pool refills with recirculated treated water

Water basin

Safe and clean

Activity, intrigue + interest

Easy to supervise

Multiple places to sit

A social place

Amphitheatre when empty

Uses

Events

Boules

Electricity outlets under the trees so people plug in their laptops and enjoy wi-fi

Restaurants overlook the Park

Bastille Day Waiters Race

Portland Pedalpalooza

Pig in the Park, neighbourhood spit roast

Christmas

User comments

Residents from all over the city enjoy the park as a place to cool off and have fun when its hot. Locals who live around it can enjoy it often without the hoards. What more could you ask from a park?

My experience is on hot summer or fall afternoons, when families and couples, students, etc., sit on the grass with picnic blankets, and some have deli-take-out from the area, kids have snacks, they like to play in the fountain, most holding their parent's hand, but waiting for the fountain water to "reappear" again, and making a noisy splashes for playing. There is a nice hub of noise on those days, with wine, sippy cups, strollers parked near the family, music wafting in, and all ages come together there. And even people-watching, as new combinations of groups, or couples find a place to settle in among the others. It is a park with such ambience that I look forward to going there and spending several hours with family, including toddlers and babies

Kids love this park and it is even quite busy late at night with the dog walkers and people coming out of the restaurants. The fountain is turned of in the winter and during Christmas a tree is placed in the middle of the square.

Jamison Square

A complex stepped stone wall (the metaphorical expression of the aquifer) divides the gallery from the balance of the park. Water cascades from the many levels of the stone wall, then spreads out to fill a shallow semicircular basin. At its fullest, the water recedes, disappearing back into the base of the wall, then flows out again.

The wall offers many levels for climbing and sitting, each level with a slightly different relationship to the cascade, which soaks some and leaves others dry. The water flow is always gentle and shallow enough for toddlers to enjoy. When the fountain is turned on, the paved plaza becomes a beach. Beyond the beach a semicircle of grass provides space for more relaxed–and drier–play. When the fountain is turned off, the basin becomes a shallow amphitheatre.