Project purpose
The Montgomery Park to Hollywood Transit and Land Use Development Strategy (MP2H) will study opportunities to create an equitable development plan for potential transit-oriented districts in NW Portland (extending from the Central City to Montgomery Park), and NE Portland (extending from the Central City to the Hollywood District). The MP2H study identifies land use and urban design options, economic development opportunities, as well as community benefits possible with a transit-oriented development scenario. The project will also consider how such opportunities could support the City’s racial equity, climate justice, employment and housing goals. The work is funded in part by a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grant.
The project team, which includes staff from Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) and Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), will assess affordable housing, economic development and business stabilization opportunities associated with potential transit investments. They will evaluate existing and future transit service along a potential 6.1-mile transit corridor in two areas:
- Northwest: Explore extending the streetcar or other high-quality transit service to Montgomery Park, linking the Lloyd District and the Central Eastside to an underserved area of Northwest Portland.
- Northeast: Explore preliminary alignment options and development potential for an extension of the streetcar to the Hollywood District.
Major transit investments are a land use tool that can be used to shape the future growth of the Central City and surrounding areas. The workplan will assess the ability of different transit and land use scenarios to support compact development along the corridor, with an emphasis on identifying tools to help advance equitable development.
What is “Equitable Development”?
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Equitable Development is “an approach for meeting the needs of underserved communities through policies and programs that reduce disparities while fostering places that are healthy and vibrant. It is increasingly considered an effective placed-based action for creating strong and livable communities.”
Project background
In 2001, Portland launched the country’s first modern-era streetcar system to serve the Downtown Portland, NW Portland and the developing Pearl District. The streetcar system was expanded in the mid-2000s to serve new development in the emerging South Waterfront district, and later the Lloyd Center and Central Eastside areas. The results are visible every day as thousands of Portlanders and visitors travel around a vibrant Central City, complete with commercial and office spaces, market rate apartments and condos, as well as the highest concentration of affordable housing in the city.
The 2009 Portland Streetcar System Concept Plan took a citywide view of system expansion:
A future line to Montgomery Park (the city’s second largest office complex) and a line to the Hollywood Town Center were among several lines identified in the report. During the recent 2035 Comprehensive Plan and Transportation System Plan process, these two lines were prioritized for streetcar planning and implementation.
In 2018, Portland City Council funded a preliminary Northwest Portland Streetcar Extension and Land Use Alternatives Analysis for an extension of streetcar to Montgomery Park. This analysis identified a potential new alignment along NW Wilson and NW York streets, through an area that currently includes industrial land uses. The study area is anticipated to redevelop where the 2035 Comprehensive Plan allows more flexible employment uses (such as nontraditional creative office spaces or niche manufacturers/retailers). The preliminary study explored the employment/jobs and housing implications of land use scenarios ranging from industrial to mixed use. The MP2H study will further the analysis and make a recommendation on future land uses in the area.
The 2035 Comprehensive Plan also updated land use and zoning designations in and around the Hollywood Town Center, and along key corridors such as NE Sandy and NE Broadway. Three potential streetcar alignment corridors are being evaluated: NE Broadway; NE Sandy Boulevard; and NE Irving/NE Sandy. The MP2H will conduct a preliminary analysis to determine if there is a preferred alignment corridor for future planning and refinement.
Community Engagement
A Community Engagement Plan was completed by December 2019.
The plan calls for City and project staff to engage local advisory bodies to ensure institutional, community and private sector input. Engagement will focus on the needs of underserved communities living or working in the area, and how development along the project corridor can benefit historically marginalized communities. Small grants or contracts with community-based organizations help to facilitate engagement with these communities. Staff will draw from the Preliminary Equity Analysis of NW Streetcar Expansion that was created early in project development phases, including recommendations for community engagement.
Project steps and timeline
2019 – Initial Outreach and Background
- Initial public engagement – neighborhood and business groups, other organizations
- Existing Conditions – land use and transportation
2020 – Develop and analyze scenarios and alternatives
- Ongoing public engagement
- Community-based outreach with partner community-based organizations
- Form a Project Working Group (PWG) for the Northwest study area
- Consider alternative development scenarios for Northwest
- Evaluate alignment alternatives for Northeast
2021 – Select and refine preferred alternatives
- Develop preferred land use and transportation proposals for Northwest
- Complete Urban Design Concepts for Northwest and Northeast
- Complete economic evaluations for Northwest and Northeast
- Consider housing and community equitable development needs
- Publish Public Discussion Draft Plan for Northwest (expected December 2021)
2022 – Public review of proposals
- Publish Proposed Draft Plan for Northwest (expected Spring 2022)
- Planning and Sustainability Commission public hearings (expected Spring 2022)
- Publish Recommended Draft Plan for Northwest (tentative Fall 2022)
- Portland City Council public hearings (tentative Fall 2022)
Project contact information
The project is jointly led by the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) and the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT). City staff are supported by a consultant team. Metro, a project sponsor, is assisting with project administration and coordinating the consultant selection process.
Project email: mp2h@portlandoregon.gov