The Facts of Life in Portland Oregon

by Elaine S. Friedman

386 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1993

Reviews

[Smiley McGrouchpants Jr.]

This book is a welcome, toned-down Portland tribute which — in a librarian-pleasant sort of tone — lays out what it is that makes this city so distinctive: a combination of elements, circumstances, and accruing decisions that have shaped this many-layered, unstintingly-concerned with itself city into a veritable model of city planning and civic health. No bad news is spared, however; this work is not a sycophant fest, but, the "bad grades" Portland earns measure up against a modern-day culture of almost-total disregard for (I have to say it outright) community that this pleasing tome serves as a welcome breath-of-fresh-air contrast for anyone interested in cities, period. (Take that, Europeans! We Americans can give a shit, at times, too!)

The Linklater and Coupland quotes only re-affirm my decision to move here, almost-ten years ago, to begin with: some sorts just gravitate towards this sort of thing!

(FOR FURTHER READING: PSU's The Portland Edge, which I've just started, gives an eleven-year-later and more hands-on survey of how the city planning efforts have been going. Get cracking, kids! We need to get everyone on the, uh, "same page!")