10/03/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 10/03/2024 12:21
While the bustling summer plaza season may be wrapping up, our street plazas continue to offer vibrant spaces for you, your friends, and your family to enjoy year-round. Fall is the perfect time to embrace the cooler weather and watch the leaves change as you relax in your favorite local plaza. There's still plenty to enjoy, including Lounge Lab-a showcase of potential new furniture for plazas-along with new plaza build-outs, events, and more.
As we transition into the quieter months, the Street Plaza Team will be hard at work, preparing for next year's programming. We'll be incorporating valuable feedback from our partners and the broader Portland community to create even more engaging and inclusive spaces.
There are countless events at the plazas each month. Need help finding them? Check out the Plaza Directory. Events are also frequently posted on the PBOT Instagrampage.
Plazas are for Portlanders and we love to see them thrive! Want to throw a performance, dance party, craft market, seed swap, game night, neighborhood meet and greet, or something else? Reach out and email us at [email protected] and we can help you navigate throwing an event.
The Small Plaza Activation process is intended to remove barriers for small-scale neighborhood-based activities that build social and community connections in PBOT plazas. Best of all, permits under Small Plaza Activation are 100% FREE.
PBOT is testing out new furniture for public plazas and Lounge Lab invites you to take a seat and share your feedback. This initiative is part of a larger effort to develop PBOT's Public Street Plaza toolkit, which will also include planters, canopies, lighting, and more. As we work to formalize the plaza program, your input is essential. Signage near the exhibit will guide you to a short survey where you can share your thoughts: Do you like the furniture? Does it capture the spirit of Portland? Is there anything missing?
Megan Doherty, the Plaza coordinator who organized the installation shared her thoughts on the project:
"We believe it's essential for plaza visitors to have a voice in shaping the future of our public spaces. This installation offers a chance to experience sample seating being considered for Public Street Plazas and provide your valuable feedback on the designs."
-Megan Doherty, Plaza Coordinator
Curious about trying out some of the sample furniture? The final First Thursday of the year is the perfect opportunity to visit the exhibit while soaking up the crafts, food, and vibrant atmosphere of the Pearl District. For this special event, Lounge Lab will be transformed into a cozy listening space, featuring local DJs spinning smooth lounge tunes, inviting you to relax and enjoy the ambiance.
Since it's inception, Ankeny Rainbow Road has been a vibrant community hub for the Buckman neighborhood. Anchored by Ankeny Tap & Table, Gorge Brewing, Moonshot Tavern, and Crema. The plaza has hosted a dynamic series of performances by MusicPortland and the well loved weekly Wednesday Bike Happy Hour. In a show of community spirit and dedication to street music, last month local businesses, volunteers, and city programs came together to construct a brand-new stage. Born and Raised Construction, a local family-owned, sustainable construction company, generously donated free labor and volunteer management valued at $10,000 to lead the stage-building effort. Ankeny Tap & Table, Gorges Brewing, and two builders from Born and Raised spearheaded the project. Alongside them, Ten community volunteers from City Repair, PBOT outreach, the Plaza Ambassador Program, and Strong Towns PDX, helped bring this vision to life. One volunteer from the day weighed in on her feelings towards the importance of the project:
"Working on the Ankeny Rainbow Road Plaza was a delightful way to spend the afternoon. Putting in the elbow grease to help maintain your neighborhood's public spaces really gives you a sense of pride in your community. There's nothing like coming together to rip out stripped screws from wood planks, and then rewarding yourself with pastries from Crema Bakery, that really creates comradery with your neighbors."
-Gerri Witthuhn, Architectural Designer & Strong Towns PDX Member
This new stage on Rainbow Road sets the scene for next year, offering performers from across Portland a platform to share their music with the community.
Volunteers work to build the stage at Rainbow Road.Last month, Depave's 7th & Sandy Seasonal Plaza featured an engaging performance byString and Shadow, a theater company from Olympia, Washington. Their show, "Or So It Would Seam: A Giant Puppet Voyage into the Hidden Universe," combined fairy tales, space adventures, and slapstick comedy, creating a fun and memorable experience for the audience.
Photo Credit: Elle HyggeString and Shadow brings communities together through outdoor puppet shows, using creative puppetry styles and a DIY aesthetic. They aim to evoke wonder and joy, making their performances accessible to all. The event was donation-based, ensuring no one was turned away due to lack of funds, making it a true celebration of art, inclusivity, and creativity.
Photo Credit: Elle HyggePerformers get ready backstage. Photo Credit: Elle HyggeWe'd love to feature it! Share your best PBOT Street Plaza photo with the world by tagging @PBOTinfo on Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly Twitter). You can also email them directly to our team at [email protected]
This summer, we launched our 2024 Plaza Survey to gather valuable community feedback and guide future program development. We're excited to share that we received responses from over 1,300 community members-a sixteen-fold increase from last year!
As we diligently analyze the data and compile it for our 2025 Plaza Report, we wanted to highlight a few exciting insights from this year's survey:
Even more exciting was the outpouring of love and support for Plazas:
Stay tuned for more findings and updates as we shape the future of our public spaces.
PBOT has numerous active plazas that are ready for you, your friends, and family to enjoy. They are great places to grab a bite to eat, relax, enjoy live music, meet up with friends, and so much more. Check out our directory to find out about plazas near you!
Originally started during the Covid-19 pandemic to assist businesses and Portlanders, PBOT's Public Street Plaza program-built partnerships with community and local businesses to transform select streets into public spaces for cultural events, street fairs, pop-up markets, relaxing, lounging, and more. The program uses PBOT's Livable Streets Strategy, adopted by Portland City Council in 2017 as its policy foundation to turn streets into inclusive public spaces that foster public life.
What started as a temporary solution is now becoming a permanent fixture in our city. The Street Plaza program reflects PBOT's commitment to climate action, mobility for all, and community building by creating spaces that everyone in Portland can use and enjoy.
This project is funded by the American Rescue Plan, a federal economic stimulus bill designed to help communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession. The City of Portland is receiving $208 million of local recovery funds. Investments focus on three key priorities: houselessness response and household stabilization, business and commercial district stabilization, and community health and safety.
The City of Portland ensures meaningful access to city programs, services, and activities to comply with Civil Rights Title VI and ADA Title II laws and reasonably provides: translation, interpretation, modifications, accommodations, alternative formats, auxiliary aids and services. To request these services, contact the Portland Bureau of Transportation at 311 (503-823-4000), for Relay Service & TTY: 711.