Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) is on the lookout for local voices to shape the future of Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Specifically, it’s the Bowl area that's getting a makeover, and a national design competition is on the horizon. In preparation, PP&R needs folks to join its Project Advisory Committee (PAC), a team that will be instrumental in guiding this reimagining of the park. According to the Portland government, community members who serve on this committee will not only have their ears to the ground on project materials, reports, and updates, but they'll also be sharing their insights directly with park staff and the project team.
The PAC's role includes a variety of touchpoints throughout the project, starting even before the design competition kicks off. Members will weigh in on key documents that inform the competition, ranging from community priorities to design criteria and how best to engage Portlanders. After the national design competition, the team will cozy up with park staff and the chosen designers to provide continued advisory support during the Bowl's design phase. Mistaking their pivotal role, the community will depend on these PAC members to liaise between the public and PP&R, ensuring the heartbeat of the park matches the rhythm of the community.
If you’re wondering what sort of expertise you need to lend your voice, it's a broad church. You might be a regular at the park, have deep ties to downtown Portland, or bring professional knowledge in architecture, landscaping, urban planning, ecology, or the arts—though professional experience is far from a prerequisite. The call is for a wide panorama of experiences and perspectives to support an inclusive and rich design process.
For those interested in making a dent in Portland's urban canvas, bubbling with ideas for the Waterfront Park, PP&R sets a deadline: January 12 is the last day to throw one's hat in the ring. In serving as a bridge between PP&R and Portland's diverse communities, members will review and provide feedback that ranges from big picture design criteria to granular site research and programming.
