2014 National Convening Skills Presenations Portland Plan | Page 66

THE PORTLAND PLAN
Economic Prosperity and Affordability

Element 5

Neighborhood Business Vitality
Improve economic opportunity and neighborhood vitality
throughout Portland through greater organizational capacity and
partnerships for economic development.

Guiding Policies
Apply commercial revitalization and
business development tools to drive
P-24 business growth in neighborhoods
and help neighborhoods, local
business and residents better
connect to and compete in the
regional economy.
Use a community-driven
neighborhood economic
P-25 development approach to build
local capacity to achieve economic
development outcomes, minimize
involuntary displacement and spur
commercial activity in underserved
neighborhoods.
Support microenterprise and
entrepreneurship.

P-26
Improve access to jobs in priority
neighborhoods through frequent
P-27 transit, active transportation,
workforce development training
and employment growth in
neighborhoods.
Small businesses are the core of Portland’s extensive neighborhood
employment districts — those areas outside the central city and harbor/
Columbia Corridor industrial districts. Neighborhood employment districts
include commercial hubs and town centers, commercial corridors, home
businesses, small industrial areas and large campus institutions. Collectively,
they offer diverse potential to improve job growth and raise wage levels,
support community self-sufficiency and import substitution, and add to the
city’s economic resiliency.

Expand partnerships with
community-based organizations,
P-28 foundations, community
development financial institutions,
business improvement districts and
the private sector (generally), to
leverage more public investments
in neighborhood economic
development.

The economic vitality of neighborhood employment districts varies across
the city. The differences are largely related to the buying power of residents,
the competitive strength of the district and its businesses and the quality
of access, especially frequent transit. The districts also vary in terms of racial
and ethnic diversity, poverty levels and the experience of gentrification.
Improving the vitality of neighborhood businesses and districts has great
potential to help address racial, ethnic, income and other disparities.
Portland has a solid base of business districts with supportive land
use, transportation, and community organization and small business
resources. Recent initiatives in the East Portland Action Plan (EPA) and City’s
Neighborhood Economic Development Strategy are already focused on
strengthening these districts though partnerships and community directed
actions.

60

April 2012