Street Talk: Livable Streets for Boston, lessons from Portland, OR

STREET TALK
Livable Streets for Boston: Lessons from Portland, OR

In post Big Dig Boston, an atmosphere of shell-shock looms. After the 15-year focus on automobiles, Bostonians are asking "what about the rest of us?" To maintain its status as a world-class city, Boston's vision of connectivity is behind-the-times. To look forward, one simply needs to look westward, to the example set by Portland, Oregon.

A conscious decision was made in Portland years ago to think differently about how people travel within a city. The resulting focus on equitable transportation, greenspace and context sensitive design has made Portland a shining example of progressive development policy.

Phil Goff, LivableStreets Board member and former activist and planner behind some of Portland's efforts, will show slides and chat about his experience getting city officials to rethink the streets. One successful project Phil orchestrated is the "Morrison Bridge Campaign", which succeeded in bringing $1.5 million in federal money to transform a bridge nearly inaccessible to pedestrians and cyclists to one with a broad esplanade on one side.

Please join us at 7pm on Thursday, March 9th at the Sherman Cafe in Union Square Somerville to hear more about how Portland's successes can influence Boston's future. The event is free. Unique chocolate beverages will be available at the café from Taza Chocolate .

Sherman Café is located at 257 Washington Street, opposite St. Joseph's Church in Union Square Somerville. Click here for a map.

Click here to learn about the organization Union Square Main Streets.

Click here to learn more about the Green Line T coming to Union Square.]

Click here to for more about the Somerville Avenue reconstruction project.