Can Portland double its population, yet preserve its signature culture? That’s a question on many minds as our city continues to undergo rapid changes spurred by a flood of new residents.

According to a recent New York Times article, Portland’s metro area alone is expected to welcome 700,000 more residents in the next 20 years. We’re also struggling with spiking rent rates, a growing homeless population and a tight real estate market. At the same time, the city has an urban growth boundary that discourages sprawl, encourages density and holds fast to a deep love for its historic homes.

This puts Portland in a gridlock. Do we sacrifice aesthetics and go on a demolition spree, rapidly adding infill buildings and taller, denser living spaces? Or should we preserve our bungalows, quirky gardens and historic homes, realizing that it’s putting pressure on rent, progress and development, while pricing-out lifelong Portlanders?

Join us this week on PRP between 1-2 p.m. for an encore episode of our Biz503 episode “Portland’s Building Density.” Co-hosts Suzanne Stevens of the Portland Business Journal and Stephen Green of Elevate Capital lead this discussion on the current growth issues the city is facing. They covered innovative land use plans, discussed how to balance livable community with affordability, and more.

Our guests for this episode were:

Rick Potestio – Principal at Potestio Studio

Robert McCullough – President of Eastmoreland Neighborhood Association

Vic Remmers – President/Owner of Everett Custom Homes

David Wark – Principal at Hennebery Eddy Architects

Listen to the encore episode here:

Or listen to the original podcast, sponsored by PCC CLIMB Center, here:

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