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General information about the Portland Planning Commission and its members, meeting schedules, agendas, and bylaws.
The Planning Commission is charged with guiding the City of Portland’s land use planning through stewardship, development, and maintenance and of the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code. In their advisory capacity, and through public hearings and discussions, commissioners will review and propose urban design and land use regulations to City Council to achieve City-adopted goals for equitable growth and development with a climate justice lens.
Planning Commission members
The Planning Commission is a nine-member volunteer body.
Steph Routh (Chair)
Steph was the former (and first) Executive Director of Oregon Walks and the former Communications and Marketing Manager for the Community Cycling Center. Steph has been a member of numerous Portland boards and committees including the Jade District Policy & Equity Committee, ODOT Region 1 Area Commission on Transportation, and the PBOT Budget Advisory Committee. Steph was the most recent former Chair of the Planning and Sustainability Commission.
“I want people to come away feeling a deeper sense of belonging to this place we all call home, and feeling a closer, more positive connection with others. I hold a passion for creating spaces for conversations rooted in respect and inclusion. I believe an engagement effort is on the road to success if, over the course of a project that involves specific communities, there is a tangible shift in project ownership to emerging leaders within those communities. I would hope that my role as a Planning Commission member will demonstrate my commitment to supporting this body's ability to meet its mission.”
Eli Spevak (Vice Chair)
Eli is the founder of Orange Splot, LLC, with a mission to pioneer new models of community-oriented, affordable, green housing developments in Portland and has managed the finance and construction of over 250 units of affordable housing through community-based non-profit organizations. Eli was a Loeb Fellowship in Advanced Environmental Studies at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design; has a Master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University; and has a Physics degree from Swarthmore College. He was the Planning and Sustainability Commission Chair in 2019-21.
"I always enjoy a steep learning curve, and also like supporting emerging leaders. I look forward to helping provide continuity and support through the transition, setting the Planning Commission up for success going forward. I often hear testimony from the public and perspectives that are different from my own. I always value and appreciate these alternative perspectives, since it builds my understanding of the issue and expands my appreciation for the array of perspectives out there. I look forward to helping find ways Portland can create the variety of housing it needs to house everyone."
Lukas Pollack (Vice Chair)
Lukas is a Southeast Portland resident, a Franklin High School graduate, and a current undergraduate student at Portland State University. He is currently obtaining a bachelor's degree in Community Urban Studies and Planning and plans to apply to the Masters of Urban and Regional Planning program, where he hopes to specialize in affordable and multi-family housing. He has prior experience in canvassing for congressional and presidential election candidates and volunteering with the Portland chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League.
"I found a passion in urban planning and urbanism when I was 16, and since then, I have done everything I can to make sure I can be a part of the change and work I want to see done in the world. I hope to work in the field of Urban Planning post-college and specialize my focus on affordable and multi-family housing. I would want my role on the Planning Commission to include identifying and responding to the underheard and marginalized communities of Portland, and helping have their needs met and input heard, as well as looking into how to ensure residential plans coming forward have affordable housing as a real priority. And I hope to aid my fellow Commission members in making Portland, through our goals and decisions, a more connected, community-building, safe, affordable, inclusive, diverse city with transportation, housing, entertainment, and culture for all our neighbors, lifelong residents, and newcomers alike."
Mary-Rain O’Meara
Mary-Rain is the Senior Director of Community Development at Central City Concern. A graduate of PSU's Masters in Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) program, she has focused her career on affordable housing and community revitalization in the Portland Metro Region. Her experience includes Master Planning for large scale public housing communities, the development of mixed-use urban projects from finance through construction completion, and overseeing innovative building conversion and adaptive reuse projects.
Mary-Rain brings a passion for leading and facilitating community development outreach and engagement in her work. “The City of Portland is facing both challenges and opportunities that provide a need for innovation, leadership and vision. Through citizen engagement and strong direction, I believe we can come out of the post-pandemic era even stronger in our communities across the city. I am excited about the possibility of serving on the Planning Commission to bring my dedication to our City in service and collaboration with others to find shared values that can guide us forward.”
Erica Thompson
Erica's perspective is shaped by a broad range of career and volunteer experiences that go beyond architecture – with common threads of these experiences being a commitment to environmental stewardship and a strong belief in building more equitable and just communities. Her work experience includes commercial, mixed-use, housing, and non-profit projects, and she has previous experience in energy efficiency consulting. Erica has a Master of Architecture from the University of Oregon and is dedicated to fostering a collaborative process based on listening and engagement, as the Planning Commission aims to do. Erica served as a Vice Chair for the Planning and Sustainability Commission in 2022.
“Portland’s progressive policy stances on issues ranging from sustainability to affordability and inclusion, are among the reasons I am most proud to be a Portlander. However, for all the great work we have done, we must do more to minimize our climate impact and to adapt to the changes that have already become inevitable. We must make sure that our efforts and policies prioritize our most vulnerable populations as well as those historically disenfranchised by the power of planning and zoning codes. I want to serve because I am committed to this work. In a period of increasing national uncertainty and fear, I find hope in the possibility of building a better Portland and setting an example for other cities.”
Brian Ames
Brian Ames is a project manager for Walsh Construction, where he has led all facets of construction for more than 900 affordable housing units in the Portland metropolitan area. Prior to that, he spent more than a decade at The Boeing Company, where he managed major construction projects for the Commercial Airplane Division.
Brian received his Bachelor of Arts in International Political Economy and Business from the University of Puget Sound, followed by a Master of Business Administration from the University of Washington.
For the past five years, Brian has been working with the City of Portland on the planning process for the development of the Montgomery Park Area Plan NW Portland. His experience working with BPS planners, Portland Parks and Recreation, PBOT, Prosper Portland, Portland Streetcar, business owners and community members throughout this process gave him significant experience and preparation for serving on the Planning Commission. Furthermore, his experience as a nonprofit housing builder gives him valuable insight into the needs of Portland’s underhoused communities.
Caring deeply about the future of Portland, Brian believes there are brighter days ahead.
“I hope to help to make Portland a great place to live, work, and play for all Portlanders. Over the past decade we’ve made development rather difficult in this city. Making things simple is actually quite difficult and going to take a lot of work, but it is something I’m very passionate about.”
J'reyesha Brannon
J'reyesha Brannon is a University of Portland alum, where she graduated with a degree in civil engineering with an environmental focus. J'reyesha spent nearly a decade working as a civil engineer for the City of Portland. She currently works in the private sector as a design engineer and project manager, supporting conveyance and wastewater projects in the Northwest. She is passionate about environmental justice, civic engagement, and diversifying STEM fields. She is actively involved in her community, having served in a variety of leadership roles for non-profits and community boards, such as the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Portland Professionals, The State of Oregon’s Environmental Justice Council, Multnomah County’s Charter Review Committee, Metro’s Parks & Nature Equity Advisory Committee, and more.
"In all its work, the Commission strives to build community and advance urban solutions that make Portland a thriving, livable city for all, something I take to heart and am excited about being part of. I was born, raised, and have chosen to continue my career and make my home in this City because I am invested in its growth – I work, play, live, and contribute to this City as an avid volunteer, public utility engineer, and part of Portland’s diverse community. I am particularly interested in infrastructure, transportation, environmental policy, and land use issues because they impact the daily life of every Portlander."
Rubén Alvarado
Rubén Alvarado is the Executive Director of the Community Cycling Center, a Portland based nonprofit working to remove barriers to cycling and increase access to active transportation. Prior to relocating to Portland, he worked to advance education and housing equity in various roles across Eastern Washington. His previous roles include Executive Director of Communities In Schools of the Blue Mountain Region and City Council member in Pasco, Washington, where he advocated for major infrastructure projects in historically underserved areas. He has served on regional transportation and planning boards and on the Planning Commissions for the cities of Pasco and College Place, as well as on a regional community health board and a community action agency. With lived experience in immigrant and working-class communities, he approaches planning with a commitment to inclusion, public service, and collaborative problem-solving. Rubén holds a B.S. in Urban and Regional Planning from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and a Master of Public Administration from Arkansas State University. He is bilingual in English and Spanish.
"I am passionate about advancing equity in the built environment and ensuring that community voices guide decisions about growth and investment. With lived experience in immigrant and working-class communities, I approach planning with a commitment to inclusion, public service, and collaborative problem-solving."
David Knowles
David Knowles has been a northeast Portland resident for the last 40 years. His career journey has spanned four decades of public service and private sector consulting, mostly in the fields of urban planning and transit project development. An Attorney, David had an active law practice while serving as an elected Metro Councilor. He went on to serve as Planning Director for the City of Portland. After leaving that position in 1999, David had leadership positions in the private sector with client work focused on planning and development of transit systems for cities and transit agencies. Because of his experience as an elected official, public sector manager and project management expertise, he has frequently led major public projects where multiple stakeholders had conflicting interests and objectives. Since retiring, David has been dedicating time to important civic and non-profit activities, including most recently the Portland Charter Commission.
"The Portland Planning Commission has always played an essential role in articulating a vision for our city. Formally, this happens through the policies and codes recommended to the City Council by the Commission. Just as important, though, is the community conversation that occurs around the ways to make Portland an even better place to live, work and play; a conversation that must be inclusive of our most vulnerable and historically underserved communities. Success for the Planning Commission should be defined not just by what it does but how it does it."
Meeting schedule
The Planning Commission meets regularly, unless otherwise noted:
- Second Tuesday of each month, 12:30 p.m.
- Fourth Tuesday of each month, 5 p.m.
Agendas
Meeting agendas are published in the Metro section of The Daily Journal of Commerce before each meeting. Agendas are also posted to this website approximately 7-10 days before each meeting. Individuals or groups can receive the meeting agendas in hard copy by contacting BPS staff, or by subscribing to receive emails:
Subscribe to receive Planning Commission agendas via email
"Briefings" and "Work Sessions" are items for which staff will share and receive information with the Planning Commission.
For items noted as “Hearings” on an agenda, public comment will be taken.
All meetings are available by live-stream video and minutes are taken. Completed meeting minutes, along with documents and presentations from Planning Commission meetings, and are available approximately 7 days following each meeting in the City of Portland archives:
Meetings are live-streamed on BPS's YouTube channel.
Full-length video of Planning Commission meetings is shown starting the Friday after each meeting on cable Channel 30:
- Fridays at 3 p.m.
- Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday at 7 a.m.