The Infill Design Project’s objective is to improve the design of multidwelling and rowhouse development in neighborhoods outside Portland’s Central City. The project’s primary focus is development in the low- and medium-density multidwelling zones (R1, R2, and R3), located primarily along transit corridors, and similar development in commercial zones.

Why this project?

In recent years, Portland has experienced a large amount of multidwelling and rowhouse development in neighborhoods throughout the city. This provides needed housing for the residents of our growing city. However, not all such development has contributed to meeting the community’s design goals, such as those calling for development that respects desired neighborhood character and contributes to a pedestrian-oriented streetscape.

Our challenge

The project brings together a diversity of community stakeholders, including neighborhood residents, designers, developers and City agencies, to find solutions to a wide range of design-related issues. The range of priorities being considered includes those as diverse as:

• Accommodating greater density while respecting desired neighborhood character;
• Encouraging quality design while facilitating affordable housing;
• Providing for automobile parking while contributing to pedestrian-friendly street frontages;
• Meeting our density goals while providing usable open space;
• Minimizing impervious surfaces while ensuring durable vehicle areas; and
• Allowing the new while respecting the old.

An emphasis of the project is on finding ways of encouraging desirable development, rather than simply regulating against bad design. Potential products include a case studies document highlighting exemplary development and design strategies that can serve as models for future infill development. This document could highlight design strategies, such as ways of minimizing privacy impacts, that are difficult to achieve through regulations alone. Another potential product is a “plan book” of infill housing prototypes that meet regulatory requirements, are marketable, and meet community design goals.

For questions or comments related to the Infill Design project, please contact:

Bill Cunningham, Project Manager

Phone: 503-823-4203

Email: bcunningham@ci.portland.or.us