PROJECT: Portland Switching District
2008-Present
How does industry shape a city, and a city shape industry? This photographic project examines the relationship between street grids, urbanism, rail infrastructure, and urban industry.Published in the Spring 2011 issue of the National Railway Historical Society Bulletin.
Solo Exhibit: City Club of Portland, March 14-April 8, 2011.
Author Archives: ABC
Trimet: Time for some sobriety
Over the last year or so — and especially lately — there’s been a lot of rhetoric tossed around over TriMet. Between a bad editorial, a near-miss on a labor action, and lots of Internet drama, I think it’s time … Continue reading
Historic Hyper-Localism and Portland Culture
Is the knowledge of fringe, obscure historical remnants like these traces of the former industrial past of the Central Eastside — and the stories behind them — part of the uniqueness of Portland cultural DNA? What makes up the cultural … Continue reading
Posted in Cities, Culture, Writing
Tagged Architecture, Historic Preservation, History, Portland, Transportation
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Where is Portland’s transit leadership?
It’s time for Portland’s transit leadership to stand up for the region’s vision. Over the last two years, as the economy shrank, local transit services here in the Portland region have been taking serious criticism. A number of narratives have … Continue reading
Posted in Cities, Land Use & Transportation
Tagged Civics, Portland, Transit, Transportation
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Eugene’s EmX: Bus Rapid Transit as it shouldn’t be
Is Eugene’s Bus Rapid Transit system, EmX, a model for how to build such transit lines? Only if outward appearances matter more than function. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) bemuses me. For years, I have watched as bus manufacturers invented a … Continue reading
Posted in Cities, Land Use & Transportation
Tagged Bus Rapid Transit, Eugene, Transit, Transportation
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Transportation news you can actually use
Michael Andersen recently quit his day job as a newspaper reporter to start a mini newsmagazine for the Portland area’s “bus, bike, and low-car” population. Transportation politics — especially bike and transit politics — can be fascinating stuff, especially to … Continue reading
Posted in Cities, Culture, Land Use & Transportation
Tagged Civics, Journalism, Portland, Transit
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Food as culture, not food
The VooDoo Donut Bacon Maple Bar. Gourmet? No. Unique? No. Portland? Yes. Among my many interests are food and culture, and as a result I often follow blogs and online discussion forums with culinary themes, sites like Good Stuff Northwest, … Continue reading
Amtrak ≠ intercity, Amtrak = transit
Amtrak’s Empire Builder, seen here at Shelby, Montana, is not a train from Chicago to the Pacific Northwest, but basic public transit for rural America. Photo: Chuck Taylor. Over the last year or so, there’s been a lot of attention … Continue reading
Posted in Cities, Land Use & Transportation
Tagged Railways, Transit, Transportation
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Property disassembly: 21st Century urban renewal tool?
Urban renewal, like any land-use improvement methodology, has conventions or habits. Conventions are meant to be a framework for success, a recipe that, if followed properly, will yield good results. Conventions, however, tend to become canonical and restricting after a … Continue reading
Social Media World = Pre Gutenberg?
Via the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University, Professor Thomas Pettit describes the decentralized media world of Social Media to be a world that is largely like the pre-Gutenberg era. Petit describes the matter in a video on Vimeo: Thomas … Continue reading
HSR = A future for rural America?
With the urbanization of both America and the World at large, a lot of attention has been given to the health and development of cities. Urban renewal, neighborhood revitalization, and economic development all have become the paramount topics of land … Continue reading
Posted in Cities, Land Use & Transportation
Tagged California, Railways, Transit, Transportation
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