This working paper was prepared for the Working Waterfront Coalition. Below is the executive summary from the paper. A full draft can be downloaded from the Schnitzer Steel website.
Portland is one of a handful of U.S. cities whose riverside location is nearly as important to prosperity and growth today as it was a century ago. The water, rail and energy complex that converges around the lower Willamette River has long supported several industrial sectors, especially primary metals, machinery and equipment manufacturing, distribution and logistics.
Unfortunately, however, the vast majority of the general public isn’t familiar with Portland’s industrial heart – its history, its function, its importance. If there is a public image of Portland’s working waterfront and heavy industry, it tends to be about problems, such as the Superfund designation or the environmental costs of maintaining the navigation channel.
This report traces the stages of development of Portland’s industrial heartland and industrial mix, identifies current issues and places Portland in a comparative context. The report touches on:
• Portland’s strategic location at the intersection of the Columbia River Valley and the Puget-Willamette Trough.
• The growth of various sectors in Portland: lumber and wood products, agricultural processing, metals and machinery, and electronics.
• Recognition of how the natural river can live in concert with the commercial and industrial uses on the river.
• How Portland’s economy is supported by river-dependent and transportation-oriented businesses.
• Trends in the region’s industrial land preservation and the working waterfront.
• Considerations as Portland plans for the future of its harbor and industrial areas.
The report concludes by offering specific recommendations for planners, governments, employers, investors and the general Portland populations, including some of the following:
• The public sector should continue to recognize the importance of Portland’s industrial heart with supportive land use regulations and protections.
• Portland needs to take extreme care and caution before determining that industrial land is no longer viable for industrial uses.
• It is vital to protect and enhance this transportation infrastructure as an economic asset that would require billions of dollars to replace or reproduce, and to promote public awareness of its value.
• Public agencies and private organizations that promote sustainable development have an opportunity to increase their effectiveness by taking advantage of a supportive industrial base.
• As private activity increases in the first decade of the 21st century, it is important to keep the industrial economy on the public agenda.
• Deliberate efforts to maintain this diversification by supporting the continued development of the waterfront transportation/industry complex should be a central element of all regional planning and development efforts.
Historically, Portland has been committed to investing in its working waterfront and industrial complex. Moving forward, the community should remain committed to preserving the resources the city has built over the last hundred years.
Portland’s
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