About Portland's Public Street Plazas

Information

PBOT's Portland Public Street Plazas are community-oriented public spaces where business and community activities are clustered, using the full width or part of a city street Rather than just a place to pass through, these sections of city streets become neighborhood destinations.

On this page

Overview

With the Public Street Plazas program, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) partners with business districts, local businesses, non-profit organizations, and community organizations to support Public Street Plazas in neighborhoods throughout Portland. Originally developed in response to COVID-19, this effort builds on PBOT’s Healthy Businesses Permit Program where PBOT and community partners work together to repurpose streets for public space for business and community uses.

As temporary spaces, most street plazas include simple design elements and temporary, movable amenities. Street plazas have been embraced by communities as outdoor spaces to socialize, share a coffee or a meal, enjoy music, or simply sit and relax with others. Find out more about our plazas below!

Children hula hoop at St Johns Plaza on a sunny day. — Fall Fling 2023 at St Johns Plaza.

Where are Public Street Plazas?

PBOT's Public Street Plazas are found all over Portland! Check out the map below and visit our Plaza Directory page to find out more information about plazas near you.

A map of Portland featuring the 17 street plazas across the city

Click Here to View a High Resolution Plaza Map

Want to Throw an Event in a Plaza?

The Small Plaza Activation process is intended to remove barriers for small-scale neighborhood-based activities that build social and community connections in PBOT plazas. If you have an idea for how you would like to use the space to get to know your neighbors, we would love to hear about it! Check out our Small Plaza Activation page for more info!

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Community Feedback

2022

The Public Street Plazas program has had great public support, with 86% of survey respondents in support of keeping street space open for public plazas beyond 2022. Additionally, when asked if they felt plazas and businesses operating outdoors contributed to a safe and vibrant area, 87% of survey respondents answered that they did contribute to a safe and vibrant area. 85% of respondents reached public street plazas by walking biking or transit.

Please click here to read the full 2022 Evaluation Report:

Portland Street Plaza 2022 Evaluation Report11.67 MB