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Reviews
e2: The Economies of Being Environmentally Conscious: Portland: A Sense of Place (2009)
UPP 101 Project 3
Portland: A Sense of Place
During the 1900s, Henry Ford changed the auto industry by revolutionizing the assembly line making it possible to quickly mass produce automobiles. With so many vehicles being produced along with the implementation of streets and highways, automobiles became the dominant method of transportation in cities across the United States. In Portland: A Sense of Place, a piece of the e^2: Transport series, director Mark Decena demonstrates how Portland steered away from characteristics that had become common across cities during the 60s and 70s like suburban sprawl and a congested city dominated by automobiles. The film focuses on Portland's transition from mobility to accessibility through its implementation of planning laws and its commitment to transit-oriented development that have had a positive effect on the quality of life, economy, and the environment. The films pleasing visuals, the use of empirical data, and people's personal stories help reinforce the positive effects that Portland has been experiencing since its transition.
Right off the bat, the film gives the viewer's vivid images and clear, descriptive explanations of Portland's past and present. In order to inform the viewers of the importance of Portland's transition, the film cleverly shows black and white video of Portland during the mid 1900s. The black and white video was accompanied by gloomy, lifeless music with static noises in the background to further illustrate to the viewer of the dysfunctional city that Portland once was. Historical context of Portland's past provided by urban planners, politicians, and scholars also help viewers further understand the lifestyle that was common prior to Portland's commitment to transit-oriented development. They explained how Portland had been planned to facilitate the movement of automobiles, making space for parking, how it was a dirty and unhealthy environment for people to live in.
One of the most intriguing things the film talks about is the process and direction the city of Portland took to avoid becoming just like any other city. In 1973, with the introduction of the Land Use Planning Law, boundaries around the city were implemented that would allow urban development within those boundaries and make it illegal outside of them. Having set boundaries would ensure the protection of the natural environment and would prevent suburban sprawl from taking place. The dreary images and stories that the film chose to portray of Portland's early history were now being contrasted with beautiful images of waterfalls, forests, and farmland. Accompanied with these images was lively music that helps portray the city with a vibrant atmosphere. One of the benefits of having set boundaries is the combination of urban and rural areas that are relatively close to one another. This combination, along with other pedestrian friendly factors, has made Portland one of the most livable cities in the country. With a growing population, a 4% increase the year before, the film never really addresses whether or not these boundaries have been extended to accommodate the increase of people. This of course would result in the encroachment of the natural environment.
Rather than focus on mobility like the majority of other major cities throughout the United States, Portland chose to focus on accessibility. This meant abandoning the notion that cities should be designed for the movement and facilitation of cars. Cities should instead be designed for pedestrians in order to facilitate their movements and to connect them to different parts of the city. With this in mind, the film does a great job in portraying the concept of transit- oriented development, the focus on public transportation, which Portland had adopted. The film puts you in the shoes of someone who would use public transit by showcasing the various unique forms that are available. The viewer is able to experience great visuals as director Decena shows what it's like to ride either a streetcar or an aerial tram (a cable car).
One of the most important and successful aspects of the film was the incorporation of a look into the daily lives of two Portland households along with business owners to get their take and impact on the methods of transportation throughout the city. This inclusion gives the film more depth, rather than just generalizing the impact that transit-oriented development has had on people. Darcy Cameron, owner of Knit Purl, explains that part of the reason why she chose her location was because it was close to three different modes of public transit. She explains that the transit stop located by her store attracts customers. The film then adds that in the span of ten years, one district has increased its number of businesses from 1 to over 250 because of the connectedness that public transit creates. Furthermore, there has been a 90% increase in transit ridership since 1990. The film also introduces viewers to the Burkhardt family who moved to Portland from Minneapolis. Tim, the father of two, explains that his commute to work is as simple as walking or taking the bus that runs one block from his house. The film however, doesn't address how all this public transit has affected those who still rely on their car to get from one place to another.
Despite not addressing any negative effects that the cities transformation has had on people who don't necessarily use public transit, Portland: A Sense of Place demonstrates the positive effects the city has experienced through the overall connectedness, reduction in carbon footprint, and protection of natural resources through the use of striking visuals, personal stories, and data.
Works Cited:
Buehler, R. (2014). 9 Reasons The U.S. Ended Up So Much More Car-Dependent Than Europe. The Atlantic Cities: Place Matters.
Decena, Mark. Portland: A Sense of Place Documentary, 2007.