A Renewed Urban Renewal Policy for Portland

Widen the Scope and Benefits of Urban Renewal Spending

I believe that the usefulness of the current practice of focus all urban renewal spending only in specific districts is obsolete. Thankfully, the City no longer has whole urban districts that are ‘blighted’, but we certainly have needs for investment all over the City.

Therefore, we should now reinvest in much needed infrastructure – parks, schools and roads all over the city and not just in the 15% of the City that today can legally be included in urban renewal districts.

My agenda for transforming Urban Renewal in the 21st century is:

• Allow the existing urban renewal districts to expire as scheduled and then shift their property tax revenues to a citywide “capital investment budget” for the entire City.
• Develop a process – including citizen input - to prioritize investment in citywide infrastructure needs such as public facilities and economic development across the entire city.
• Seek state legislative authority to spend the 30% set-aside for affordable housing across the City, not just inside the Urban Renewal district where it was generated (similar to what they already do in California).
• Create a voluntary partnership with Multnomah County which allows them to participate with the City on these investments where it makes sense. We need to give the County a voice in the decision process unlike the current urban renewal funding process does.

Experience

Chris Smith is a dedicated citizen advocate for the entire City. His 10 years of experience include:

• Neighborhood transportation chair
• Citizen member of Metro’s Transportation Policy Alternatives Committee
• Portland Streetcar Board of Directors
• Portland [Transportation] Operations Steering Team