2014 National Convening Skills Presenations Portland Plan | Page 94
THE PORTLAND PLAN
Healthy Connected City
Element 3
Connections for people, places,
water and wildlife
An interconnected network of habitat connections, neighborhood greenways
and civic corridors will encourage walking and biking and weave nature into
neighborhoods and support healthy ecosystems. Whether along a busy
transitway, on a quiet neighborhood street or near a stream, habitat connections,
neighborhood greenways and civic corridors link people, water and wildlife.
Habitat connections are large natural areas, habitat corridors and
neighborhood tree canopy that weave nature into the city.
Neighborhood greenways are trails and pedestrian and bike-friendly
green streets that link neighborhood hubs, parks, schools, natural areas
and other key community destinations, making it easier to get around
by walking, biking or wheelchair.
Civic corridors are major streets and transit corridors that link
neighborhood hubs to each other and to the central city. They have
been transformed into enjoyable places to live, work and gather
through bike and pedestrian facilities, large canopy trees, stormwater
facilities and place-making amenities.
The network will expand on Portland’s existing network of greenspaces, regional
trails, bikeways, green streets and high-capacity transit by identifying and
prioritizing a special set of corridors for integrated multi-objective design. This
approach depends on and supports continued implementation of the city’s
existing system plans for multi-modal transportation and watershed health. It
will also provide more Portlanders with access to nature every day. By aligning
resources, it gives us a framework for maximizing the benefit of each dollar.
These plans will continue to be implemented as proposed, but with realignment
of some projects to help implement the Healthy Connected City framework.
Guiding Policies
Develop the network of habitat
connections, neighborhood
H-24 greenways and plan for civic
corridors as a spine of Portland’s
civic, transportation and green
infrastructure systems. Enhance
safety, livability and watershed
health and catalyze private
investment and support livability.
Preserve and restore habitat
connections and tree canopy to link
H-25 stream and river corridors, landslideprone areas, floodplains, wetlands
and critical habitat sites into a system
of habitat corridors. This provides
connections for wildlife, supports
biodiversity, improves water quality,
reduces risks due to flooding and
landslides, and supports Portland’s
adaptation to climate change.
Creating this network will require a coordinated approach to make choices
about where to align investments in green infrastructure: parks, trails,
natural areas, urban forestry, sustainable stormwater systems, and bicycle,
pedestrian and transit facilities. Priority needs to be given to neighborhoods
that lack adequate accessible sidewalks, stormwater management, parks or
tree canopy. By doing this, Portland will make efficient use of investments
to achieve greater benefits for mobility, public health, watershed health, the
economy, safety, quality of life and equity.
Green infrastructure includes natural systems, such as trees and natural
areas, and engineered features like green streets and ecoroofs. Green
infrastructure can manage stormwater, improve water quality, reduce
flooding risk and provide wildlife and pollinator habitat and areas for human
recreation and respite while mitigating and improving resiliency.
Greenspaces are outdoor areas or spaces, primarily vegetated, and on a
continuum from wilderness to urban settings. Greenspaces are found under
public, private or non-profit management. Examples include forests, riparian
zones and wetlands, greenways and trails that have associated landscaping,
city parks and gardens. A greenspace provides a broad range of ecological
and social benefits (such as tree canopy, carbon sequestration, habitat values,
community health, serenity, community engagement, etc). Green infrastructure
such as urban forest canopy, stormwater features (e.g. bioswales), rain gardens,
and eco-roofs can be components of a broader greenspace system.
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April 2012 | www.pdxplan.com