McLoughlin Corridor

Regional Investments for Smart Communities: Harnessing transit and technology to strengthen the economy and connect the McLoughlin Corridor

Welcome to the University of Oregon “Green Cities” and International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP) project website for the McLoughlin Corridor in Metro Portland, Oregon.

University of Oregon

The “Green Cities” course examines the history and future of the interface between urban growth and environmental concerns, and the technological, social, and political forces that continue to shape it. This course is within the School of Planning, Public Policy and Management at the University of Oregon. https://pppm.uoregon.edu/

International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP)

ISOCARP is the International Society of City and Regional Planners. Founded in 1965, it is a global association of experienced professionals bringing together recognized and highly-qualified planners from more than 80 countries worldwide. The Young Planning Professionals’ Programme (or short: YPP Programme) is a crucial component of ISOCARP’s dedication to promote and enhance the planning profession. The objective is to provide young and ambitious planning professionals with an opportunity to learn and work in a multi-cultural setting and share their experiences. https://isocarp.org/young-planning-professionals-programme/

Metro

Metro, the regional government that serves 1.5 million people who live in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties and the 25 cities in the Portland metropolitan area, provides planning and other services that protect the nature and livability of our region. The region’s long range vision, identified in the 2040 Growth Concept, calls for compact urban form, with new development focused in existing urbanized areas. As the Portland region grows, many of the issues that larger cities have been experiencing—such as affordable housing, community and business displacement, and inclusive growth— are rising to the forefront of public concern. Project partners aim to address these concerns by working with the community to ensure that major public investments in transit, transportation innovations, and other forms of infrastructure such as technology and communications investments are leveraged in a way that supports community development objectives, addresses existing inequities, and reduces associated impacts and risks of reduced affordability and displacement due to increased land values. http://www.oregonmetro.gov/regional-leadership/what-metro

As one of Metro’s identified Investment Areas, the McLoughlin Corridor is one of the places at risk to development pressures and increased regional growth. McLoughlin Boulevard is one of the region’s most important thoroughfares that serves as an artery of commerce and it connects Portland to three cities (Gladstone, Milwaukie, and Oregon City) and two unincorporated communities (Jennings Lodge and Oak Grove) in Clackamas County. The MAX Orange Line light rail recently began operation in the northern end of the corridor, terminating at SE Park Ave Station Area in an area with redevelopment opportunities. Numerous planning efforts have been finalized for large stretches south of the line in the last 5-10 years, but more work will be needed. The corridor has inherited multiple vacant properties that once served as major industrial operations, gas stations, auto repair shops, and other businesses that used petroleum-related chemicals with real or perceived brownfield contamination that inhibits their development potential. Metro partnered with Clackamas County and Oregon City on an EPA Brownfield Coalition Assessment Grant for the area, and has already started the process of identifying sites for assessment and future remediation. The State and Region have invested in the Willamette Falls Legacy Project; a public vision and master plan with the goal of transforming a 23-acre [9.3-hectare], abandoned paper mill on the banks of the Willamette River in historic Oregon City. Willamette Falls is the 2nd largest waterfall by volume in North America, the end of the Oregon Trail, and an historic fishery for Native Americans. Final designs are complete for a new Riverwalk that provides Oregonians and visitors with the opportunity to rediscover this cultural and scenic treasure for the first time in 150 years.

Of particular interest to the regional government, is how future transit connections/extensions and infrastructure investments may leverage the many opportunity sites along this corridor. The Metro Regional Framework Plan calls for all Regional Centers to be connected to the High Capacity Transit (HCT) system as part of the implementation of the 2040 Growth Concept. Oregon City is one of the last designated Regional Centers in the 2040 Growth Concept that is not accessible by HCT. Starting at Park Avenue Station, along the Orange Line MAX, we are interested in exploring what HCT could mean for the corridor and the unique communities that exist along it? What other investments should be made to support the multiple proposals underway in the corridor? How do we harness transit and other investments to strengthen and connect this corridor in support of regional objectives for equitable development? What are the market realities behind these visions and what is the corridor’s true potential? Opportunity sites can be found at many locations, but of particular interest to Metro and local partners are:

Park Avenue Station – the location is a fantastic opportunity to think through the right type of Transit-Oriented Development that would enhance the surrounding community and bring vitality to the end of the MAX line
Willamette Falls Legacy Project – with the recent release of Phase I of the Riverwalk design effort, there is a real opportunity to explore the connection between Downtown Oregon City and the future public access
North Milwaukie Industrial Area – with a recently completed plan for the area, several opportunity sites exist to explore local and regional employment needs