What is missing from this place?
Through multiple site visits and our most recent site analysis assignment (I received the “What is missing from this place?” card), I started to think more about the characteristics of the site, its challenges and its opportunities. Looking closely at the site that I have selected, I noticed how it is missing some basic place-making characteristics: a sense of community, activity and liveliness as a whole. Why there are not enough people, children and bicycles in the area? Maybe because the area is not attractive enough to bring in a diverse crowd to the site and its immediate surroundings? Or it could be because of the fact that not all streets are pedestrian and bicycle friendly. Many of the local events are planned as indoor activities and are short-term and the surrounding facilities don’t do a good job in terms of creating a sense of community either.
How can we enhance the site from a smaller scale and have a larger impact on our communities as well?
If we take the least vibrant part of the site and create a “lively place” out of it, that could enhance the site and the surrounding community. And if the program also supports the same goal, we would have a larger positive impact on the city as well. The current Thunderbird site provides a tremendous amount of opportunity for realizing this goal. Currently, it is dedicated to surface parking and is fairly abandoned. It does not house many activities that would help enhance the surroundings and it doesn’t take advantage of the Willamette River as one of the most promising features of the site.
What are the challenges of the site?
The site is fairly disconnected from the rest of the neighborhood by main streets and railroads. An existing railroad creates a physical barrier between the site and the Willamette River. The area is mostly dedicated to commercial development and residential development is limited. Most people who visit the area are commuters. Most of the waterfront area is currently dedicated to industrial buildings.
What are the opportunities of the site?
I believe that every single challenge or negative characteristic of the site should be viewed as an opportunity for enhancement. These are design challenges that demand unique solutions. The citizens of Portland, the Willamette River and many public and private organizations are some the opportunities that could streamline the process. The site is accessible by existing public transportation infrastructure and it falls within the Free Rail Zone. There are opportunities for creating strong visual and physical connections to the Willamette River and Downtown Portland area. The Rose Garden, the Memorial Coliseum and the Oregon Convention Center are in close proximity and could help attract more visitors to the area and/or share resources.
