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Nov 30, 2023

America’s downtowns are at a crossroads.

Many urban economic centers are struggling to get back to pre-pandemic norms. In addition to an increasingly hybrid workforce, many downtowns are confronting a lack of affordable housing, rising crime, and recent policy reforms that have made it difficult to combat a...


May 15, 2023

It often feels like the Portland-Vancouver metro region has become bogged down in a culture of political stagnation. We have big ideas. We seek to solve big problems like climate change and social justice.

But we have lost our ability to work across our divisions to make big things happen.

The I-5 bridge between Oregon...


Nov 16, 2022

The term “cancel culture” is a buzzword these days. Nevertheless, it deserves thoughtful analysis.

Nowhere is cancel culture more apparent than on college and university campuses. According to a 2021 survey, more than 80% of American college students reported censoring themselves at least some of the time.

This...


May 10, 2022

Change is hard.

In 1973, Oregon Governor Tom McCall created a pioneering land use policy focused on preserving farmland, reducing pollution and preventing urban sprawl. At the time, it was a visionary move that took bold political leadership.

But what seemed visionary 50 years ago has played a pivotal role in creating...


Oct 3, 2021

Advocacy and political activism have become part of the social media ecosystem. Pew Research data shows roughly 76% of Americans say that social media makes people think they are making a difference when they really aren’t. 

Yet more of us are turning to social media as a primary way to engage with social and...