See something we could improve on this page? Give website feedback.
Label:
Information
The Design Commission provides leadership and expertise on urban design and architecture and advances the purpose of the Design overlay zone as authorized under Portland City Code 33.710.050,
Helpful Links
The Design Commission powers and duties
- Reviewing major developments within Design overlay zones except those projects involving or located within the following:
- Historic Districts;
- Conservation Districts;
- Historic Landmarks; and
- Conservation Landmarks
- Recommending the establishment, amendment, or removal of the Design overlay zone and a design districts to the Planning and Sustainability Commission;
- Recommending design guidelines for adoption by City Council except for guidelines for Historic Districts and Conservation Districts;
- Reviewing other land use requests assigned to the Design Commission; and
- Providing advice on design matters to the Hearings Officer, Planning and Sustainability Commission, Historic Landmarks Commission, Portland Development Commission, City Council, and other City Bureaus or public agencies when necessary or requested.
Design Commission members
The Portland Design Commission consists of seven members, none of whom may hold elective office. Terms are four years and limited to a maximum of two full terms. All members are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council.
The Commission must include:
- One person with public art experience who is nominated by the City Arts Program.
- One person representing the public at-large who must not be employed in one of the areas of expertise listed in 3.
- Five members experienced in either urban planning, design, architecture, landscape architecture, natural resource management, sustainable building practices, engineering, financing, construction or management of buildings, or land development. No more than two members may be appointed from any one of these areas of expertise.
Chandra Robinson (Chair)
Membership Category - Architect
(2nd Term expires 6/30/2027)
Bio coming soon.
Joe Swank (Vice Chair)
Membership Category - Developer
(1st Term expires 5/14/27)
Joe's work has been targeted toward increasing diversity in the architectural and related professions by targeting opportunities for BIPoC students. These experiences have provided much inspiration and a lens into how young residents of the city want to see Portland in the future. Most recently Joe's work as a Director for a socially responsible real estate development firm has provided insight as to what it takes to get a project to fruition. Joe demonstrates an inherent appreciation for the costs, time, and effort that goes into this process.
Statement from Joe Swank:
I care about Portland. I care about the city's policies and uniqueness that makes the public realm in Portland so special. I have worked in multiple facets of the design and construction industry as an architect, a general contractor, and currently a director for a socially responsible real-estate developer. These experiences yield an understanding of projects from multiple perspectives and at multiple scales. My strength as an architect is related to details and materials and how buildings cohesively come together. I have a depth of understanding how these elements can affect buildings over time.
Tina Bue
Membership Category - Public at Large
(1st Term expires 5/14/27)
Photo coming soon.
Tina has many years of experience working in diverse groups, which requires a lot of open-mindedness and willingness to have empathy, understanding, and appreciation for the diversity of the individuals within a group or team. Tina's experience in design leadership has given her opportunities to work collaboratively and learn from others' experiences that are different from her own. It has been a commitment of Tina's to only work in spaces that are accepting of all people and backgrounds.
Statement from Tina Bue:
Since moving to Portland from NYC in 2008 I am excited to finally be able to make space for civic engagement. I have worked as a designer my entire adult life and I believe that public design is a powerful tool to engage communities. While I'm not an architect or builder, I'm a color designer passionate about the ability of color to transform spaces and the people who use them. My curiosity and interest in how the design of public spaces affect the communities who encounter them has brought me to learn more about the Portland Design Commission's work.
Thomas Eldridge
Membership Category - Developer
(1st Term expires 10/31/28)
Thomas' experience working in affordable housing development started in his native London, UK. He now works as a Senior Development Manager in Portland for an Affordable Housing Developer focused on the thoughtful planning and development of communities that enrich the quality of life for the residents he serves. Since first reading Bleeding Albina: A History of Community Disinvestment, 1940-2000, whilst studying for his Masters Degree in Real Estate Development at Portland State University, his experience has come full circle as he now works with local Community Based Organizations to develop affordable housing as part of Portland Housing Bureaus North/North East Preference Policy. Thomas is a member of Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) inaugural DEI Coalition and is a Portland State University Graduate Student Mentor.
Statement from Thomas Eldridge:
When the private and public realms meet, public representation is so important, and whenever I hear public testimony, I'm reminded of who it is I serve on the Design Commission. I would like to encourage developers and designers to act with a more equitable lens and focus on how their projects can positively affect the public at large.
For every occupant who walks into a building, many more members of the public experience that same property from a different perspective, and if we can make their lives that little bit better through holistic design, isn't that a win-win?
Hanifah Abioto
Membership Category - Public Art
(1st Term expires 4/30/2030)
Hanifah Abioto is co-owner of an art and design firm with her family, Studio Abioto, that focuses on Black diasporic art, history, and lifestyle. Studio Abioto has recently shifted towards art curation, public and private, following some recent contracts with publicly funded buildings. Hanifah works as a Grants & Communications Coordinator at Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, the Portland District 2 Coalition Office. Hanifah works primarily with Civic Life and Portland City Councilors on occasion. Additionally, as a part of Studio Abioto and in conjunction with a couple of other artists, Hanifah has held a contract with Parks and Rec/RACC to produce the Art Plan for the North Portland Aquatic Center.
Statement from Hanifah Abioto:
Moving to Portland in 2010, I have witnessed profound change in a city shaped by the constant intersection of nature and development. Living in a place that has transformed so deeply has made me attentive to how design shapes wellbeing and quietly communicates what is possible, welcomed, or overlooked in our city - often long before anyone can consciously name it, and sometimes long after harm has already occurred. As an artist who returns to sound, writing, and printmaking as primary architects of my work, I am trained to notice scale, material, rhythm, and absence, and how these elements shape how people experience themselves in space and place. This way of seeing is why I am both equipped and invested in contributing to Portland through the Design Commission, where there is an opportunity to uplift lived, collective, and diverse experience through public art and design.
Brian McCarter
Membership Category - Landscape Architect
(2nd Term expires 11/19/2026)
Brian has a 46-year career in Landscape Architecture and Urban Design and has actively participated in the past seven and a half years on the Portland Design Commission in the Landscape Architect category. During Brian's tenure, he has reviewed both the highest volume of projects before the Commission and the lowest in project activity due to significant local, state and national challenges. As Brian looks ahead to completing his 2nd term, he reflects back on the incredible opportunity serving on Portland's Design Commission has been – to be a positive part of private and public projects that continue to make Portland the great city it is.
Statement from Brian McCarter:
In this period where Portland's urban neighborhoods steadily recover and improve while Central City continues to struggle to recover, I want to remind all involved in development in this city, Design Commission is an ally and the one entity in the review process that uses statutory discretion grounded in professional expertise to help move projects along to full approval. My fellow commissioners and I are pro-growth, passionate about Portland and poised to help our beloved city return to vitality and economic expansion while maintaining the qualities that have made Portland a leader in urban design.
Sarah Vaz
Membership Category - Architect
(1st Term expires 5/31/2028)
Sarah is a licensed architect in Oregon and a Senior Associate at Holst Architects, where she has positively contributed to dozens of projects in Portland over the course of 9 years. Sarah is committed to the open exchange of ideas and understands that the best outcomes come from the tension of holding opposing views – this is a tension that requires a diversity of backgrounds and opinions. Sarah believes the best approach to navigating diverse backgrounds and viewpoints is holding curiosity while working to identify common goals. She views her interactions and decisions through a lens of fairness, and she has an acute eye for design.
Statement from Sarah Vaz:
Living and working in Portland for the last ten years I have had the pleasure of experiencing the growth of an incredible city, and I am excited to serve my community by joining the continued efforts of the Design Commission in shaping that growth to the benefit of our shared public realm. I am an architect with a passion for sustainable design and recent experience working with trauma informed principles in the design of rehabilitation facilities. I am also an artist, working out of a printmaking studio in SE Portland. Some of the projects I'm most proud of have been collaboratively designed and public-facing art installations for the Portland Winter Lights festival, as well as exterior and interior murals for non-profit partners. Experiencing the city as a renter, bike commuter, recreational runner, and most recently a paddle boarder, I am continually amazed by the integration of vibrant neighborhoods with natural beauty in our community. In the words of Robin Wall Kimmerer, all flourishing is mutual.