6/4/26 - Design Commission Hearing with Speaker Series

Hearing Registration Link 

AGENDA

1. (1:30-1:35)

Items of Interest

2. (1:35-3:30)

SPEAKER SERIES PRESENTATION - Portland's Adaptive Capacity & Design Portland & City of Possibility

PRESENTER: Matthew Claudel, matthew@fieldstates.com, Founder, CEO, Field States

Little new construction is happening in Portland. That is not the Design Commission's problem to solve – but the Commission can play a crucial role in kickstarting the construction that will define Portland's next chapter. Downtown buildings are searching for a new purpose beyond what their designers and financiers imagined. Their occupancy is deeply intertwined with the economic future of our city. Matthew Claudel, founder of Field States, argues that adaptive capacity is the defining feature of cities facing post-COVID architectural and economic stasis. In this talk, he will build on recent analytical and project-based work focused on vacancy and building conversion and propose an actionable focus for reimagining the Central City design criteria.

PRESENTER: Randy Gragg: randygraggprojects@gmail.com 

PRESENTER: William Smith: william@drawings.studio 

William Smith and Randy Gragg, cofounders of the City of Possibility initiative and the new organization, Design Portland, talk about the inspirations, successes, and challenges of their efforts and what Portland needs from the Design Commission, the AIA Urban Design Committee, and the design community in general for the city to realize its potential as a thought leader.

Please keep in mind

• The agenda is subject to change.
• Agenda items may be rescheduled
• Documents for each agenda item are posted when they become available.
• Times are estimates only and agenda item times may change.
• Projects are reviewed in the order listed with a 10-minute break between agenda items.
• All continuances and reschedules are requested by the applicant, unless otherwise noted.

Portland Permitting and Development is committed to providing equal access to information and hearings.  To request an accommodation or alternative format of communication, please contact us no later than five business days prior to the hearing at 503-823-7300 (TTY 503-823-6868).  Note that Zoom automated captions are used for hearings and may not be as accurate as live captioning; A closed-caption transcript of the meeting may be requested by contacting the PP&D Hearings Clerk at PPDHearingsClerk@portlandoregon.gov.