I suspect these people are looking for any rationalization for their emotional desire for Portland to turn back the clock 10-20 years to being a slightly grungy and relatively inexpensive city. Like back in 2009 when I paid <$500 a month for a room in a shared single family home in a slightly dangerous outer NE neighborhood. Probably the most visible change since that period is the explosion of multistory development in SE and NE.
Unfortunately for them, an urban doom loop will not be kind to all the things that made Portland livable to begin with. The budget deficits looming city-wide are grim. On the housing front, our only hope is that the statewide ban on single family zoning plus urban growth boundaries will continue to structurally encourage density via infill.
Unfortunately for them, an urban doom loop will not be kind to all the things that made Portland livable to begin with. The budget deficits looming city-wide are grim. On the housing front, our only hope is that the statewide ban on single family zoning plus urban growth boundaries will continue to structurally encourage density via infill.