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Walk Portland: Discover Downtown

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A woman looks at a prototype wayfinding sign installed in Waterfront Park with the Hawthorne Bridge in the background.View full size image
With its compact downtown blocks and abundance of attractions, Portland is the perfect city for a stroll or a roll. Walk Portland, a partnership between the Portland Bureau of Transportation and Travel Portland, seeks to make it easier than ever for pedestrians to explore the city.

The Downtown Portland Walking Route

In the summer of 2025 (August - October), we launched a short-term, pilot wayfinding system to help people explore Portland as a pedestrian: the Downtown Portland Walking Route. The route was created to be a cohesive downtown walking loop connecting Portland landmarks — think top destinations like Powell’s City of Books, Pioneer Courthouse Square and Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Signage along the walking route also encouraged pedestrians to discover other local attractions and easily connect to public transit.

A modern pedestrian wayfinding system was identified as a way to provide an interesting and enjoyable pedestrian experience in PedPDX, the citywide pedestrian masterplan. The 2025 pilot was developed by Walk Portland, a partnership between the Portland Bureau of Transportation and Travel Portland, which seeks to make it easier than ever for pedestrians to explore the city. It has been funded in part by a grant from Travel Oregon and made possible with support from Oregon Walks. 

A map of downtown Portland highlighting the walking route, which connects the Salmon Street Springs, Pioneer Courthouse Square, Powell's, and the Visitor CenterView full size image

Walk Portland Summer Pilot

A person with long, strawberry blond hair traces a route on the orientation sign at Director Park. The background is blurred.View full size image
The orientation sign at Director Park. Credit Tom Cook Photo.
An orientation sign mounted on a column at the Southwest corner of Pioneer Square. The square is filled with tents and food trucks in the background.View full size image
An orientation sign on the southwest corner of Pioneer Courthouse Square at SW Yamhill St and SW Broadway. Credit Tom Cook Photo.
A smaller navigation sign mounted on a the pole for a streetlight at the corner of SW Morrison Street and 4th Avenue. A MAX train pulls up to a stop in the background.View full size image
A navigational sign at the corner of SW Morrison St and SW 4th Ave. Credit Tom Cook Photo.
A photo of the Visitor Center on SW Harvey Milk Street. The window has a transparent wrap that says "Portland" and includes some of the people used on the maps and signs as decoration.View full size image
The Portland Visitor Center. Credit Tom Cook Photo.
A window on the corner of SW Morrison Street and SW 9th Aveis covered with a large blue vinyl wrap with Portland in large letters across the front. Icons of portland destinations and people used on the signs and maps decorate the window covering, with walk times to each destination. A sidewalk decal can be seen on the sidewalk in the foreground.View full size image
A vinyl window wrap and sidewalk decal at the corner of SW Morrison St & SW 9th Ave. Credit Tom Cook Photo.
The Walk Portland sidewalk decal on a red brick sidewalk. The decal is a blue oval with "Portland Downtown Route" and the PBOT logo. On either end, lighter blue lines stick out, indicating the direction of the route. A person's shoes can be seen at the bottom of the photo.View full size image
A sidewalk decal marking the downtown route. Credit Tom Cook Photo.
A smaller navigation sign mounted on a the pole for a streetlight at the corner of SW Harvey Milk Street and 10th Avenue. A yellow streetcar glides by in the background.View full size image
A navigational sign at the corner of SW Harvey Milk St and SW 10th Ave. Credit Tom Cook Photo.
The large, blue orientation sign anchored in Yamhill Plaza by the MAX station. Sunlight illuminates the sign, making it pop against the shaded background.View full size image
The orientation sign in Yamhill Plaza at the corner of SW Yamhill St and SW 2nd Ave. Credit Tom Cook Photo.
A group of people stand on a street corner waiting to cross. One person at the back is looking at a physical Walk Portland map of the downtown route.View full size image
Physical maps were available during guided walks and at the Visitor Center. Credit Tom Cook Photo.
A large, blue orientation sign installed in Pod Plaza across W Burnside Street from Powell's Books, which can be seen in the background. A sidewalk decal marking the downtown route can also be seen on the sidewalk.View full size image
The orientation sign in Pod Plaza at W Burnside St and SW 10th Ave. Credit Tom Cook Photo.
Two people in front of the orientation sign at Salmon Street Springs on a sunny day. The fountain and downtown are in the background.View full size image
An orientation sign at Salmon Street Springs. Credit Tom Cook Photo.
Two people walk past a large orientation sign mounted on a column at the Northeast corner of Pioneer Square. One person is gazing over their shoulder at the sign.View full size image
An orientation sign on the northeast corner of Pioneer Courthouse Square at SW Morrison St and SW 6th Ave. Credit Tom Cook Photo.
Two people stand in front of a large, blue orientation sign at Director Park. One person is looking at their watch while the other reads the map.View full size image
The orientation sign at Director Park. Credit Tom Cook Photo.

Wayfinding in Portland

Wayfinding is a system of signs, maps and other visual tools to help pedestrians feel safe, comfortable and confident navigating a city on foot. During the pilot, you'll find downtown pedestrian wayfinding signs along the Downtown Portland Walking Route — printed maps are also available at the Portland Visitor Center. This pilot and its temporary signage are designed to see what works and what doesn't in helping people navigate downtown. 

The long-term goal of this project is to create and implement a cohesive, user-friendly wayfinding system that helps pedestrians navigate Portland, enhances the pedestrian experience for visitors and locals alike, and promotes a sense of place. We'll apply what we learn from this test to a more permanent system in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is wayfinding and why does Portland need it?

Wayfinding helps people navigate physical spaces using tools like signs and maps. Modern wayfinding also promotes a sense of place, enhances the walking experience and highlights local destinations. In a city that prioritizes pedestrians, it's an essential tool to help people navigate comfortably and confidently.

What is a pedestrian?

A pedestrian is a person travelling on foot or with mobility aids.

Why did Walk Portland pursue a pilot instead of a permanent system?

In 2024, Travel Portland, PBOT, and sparks+sullivan began a strategic planning process for pedestrian wayfinding in Portland. The strategic plan established a wayfinding framework with multiple elements: the sign system, digital tools, operations, landmarks & paths, and visitor center services. To make sure a future system is serving visitors well, the plan recommended a temporary pilot  to test the utility of the different elements. The strategic plan also earned an Honor Award from the Society of Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD).

The strategic planning and pilot both bring Portland one step closer to a permanent pedestrian wayfinding system.

Why is this pilot only temporary?

Implementing a permanent wayfinding system is expensive and complex — it's a big undertaking, but not impossible! By using more affordable temporary materials in a smaller area and evaluating their performance, the pilot was a necessary first step toward a permanent system.

Why is the route located downtown?

The temporary pilot was focused downtown because it's a natural destination for visitors to Portland. It also has a demonstrated need for both wayfinding and revitalization. A future permanent system could extend the system to other neighborhoods.

How was the downtown walking route developed? Why doesn't it go by my business/down my street?

Public engagement identified landmarks like the Willamette River, Pioneer Courthouse Square, and Powell's as key destinations. The route, which is fully accessible and offers nearby connections to public transit, was selected to link these destinations. While signage is limited to the route during the pilot, one goal is to help people feel confident exploring the broader downtown area, using these tools as a starting point.

What happens after the pilot?

Post-pilot an evaluation is being conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of all the various pilot elements--the signage, route, sidewalk decals, etc. The evaluation, scheduled to be completed in early 2026, will also recommend next steps for Walk Portland in pursuit of a permanent pedestrian wayfinding system.

Contact

Walk Portland

walkportland@portlandoregon.gov

Location

Downtown Portland

Portland , OR 97204
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Related

PedPDX: Portland's Citywide Pedestrian Plan

Topics

Transportation and roads
City planning

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