The market forces that push developers and landowners to build “more” and “bigger” have cropped up in some of the swankiest neighborhoods in Portland. So far, neighbors who oppose the projects are finding scant legal recourse to prevent the changes.
“Infill, tearing down an existing structure and putting up one or more replacements, has become common practice in some of Portland’s oldest neighborhoods over the past few years,” reports Anna Griffin. In fact, “[the] number of single-family home demolitions has skyrocketed since the end of the recession and was up almost 50 percent last year from 2011.”
Moreover, infill is even cropping up in “more upscale, established neighborhoods such as Irvington, Eastmoreland and…the pricey stretch of Beaumont-Wilshire along Alameda Ridge.”
Residents of these neighborhoods are struggling to find ways to oppose projects that demolish buildings to replace them with multiple residential units. “City policy allows property owners who simultaneously ask permission to demolish one home and put another to avoid delays. The idea is to prevent land from sitting vacant for too long -- a problem before the Rose City was a real estate hot spot -- but a growing number of Portland neighborhood groups want Mayor Charlie Hales and the rest of the City Council to rethink the policy now that infill is so popular.”
Meanwhile, residents of these neighborhoods are not pleased with the changes in their neighborhoods. Griffin quotes Al Ellis, president of the Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood Association, whose opinion is sure to rile those who don’t believe neighbors should have veto power over the legal rights of a landowner: “At this point, the way the code is written, it’s so easy to get around informing anybody…So the shape and character of our neighborhoods are being determined by owners and developers.”
FULL STORY: Neighbors balk as infill spreads from up-and-coming streets to Portland's wealthiest zip codes

National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.

Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.

Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.

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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service