WILLAMETTE RIVER ADVOCACY

March 26: Greening Portland

Architecture, city planning and community/environmental activists come together to define a sustainable vision for the future of Portland. How many bioswales and bike lanes are enough? What about widening I-5, or increasing mass transit? How many highrises, parking spaces, and how high is high? There's talk about equity, but is anyone creating it, and how are they doing it?

The Human Access Project is a non-profit with a mission: Transform Portland’s relationship with the Willamette River, and a vision: A city in love with its river. Willie Levenson, the Human Access Project’s Ring Leader, will answer the question - What the hell are we doing? He will explain how an environmental movement, disguised as a beach party, is bringing people to the river, through The Big Float, the River Huggers Recreational Swim Team, the Mayoral Swim, and building beaches in downtown Portland.    


·      The Big Plans: Mike Abbate, director of Portland Parks and Recreation; Jonathan Blasher, director of Parks and Nature, Metro.

·      Grassroots Green in Cully: Greening Portland; Alan Hipolito, Desiree Williams-Rajee, Verde

·      The Big Plans: Mike Abbate, director of Portland Parks and Recreation; Jonathan Blasher, director of Parks and Nature, Metro.

·      Grassroots Green in Cully—Alan Hipolito, Desiree Williams-Rajee, Verde

·      A New Willamette Riverfront—OMSI and Willamette Falls, Michelle Delk, Snohetta

·      A New Gateway to Forest Park: Steve Dangermond, Dangermond-Keane Architects

·      Beyond Bioswales: Dawn Uchiyama, Bureau of Environmental Services

·      Bringing Beaches to the Willamette: Willie Levenson, Human Access Project

·      Plus: Depaving Portland; and more

Hosted by longtime Portland journalist Randy Gragg, it will be a fast-paced, lively, show-and-tell of active plans and projects on the horizon, by the people guiding from the top and working and agitating at the grassroots—an unique gathering of leaders on a public stage