Portland’s Creative Economy at a Crossroads
January 9, 2018
This morning, City Council held a work session to discuss a set of recommendations by Commissioner Fish to protect and expand affordable arts spaces. You can read the proposal here.
For the past two years, Nick and his team have been convening meetings with key community stakeholders and studying best practices from sister cities like Seattle, San Francisco, Denver, and Austin.
As we know, Portland is experiencing rapid growth and a housing crisis. This in turn threatens to displace artists and arts organizations.
Portland has long been a creative hub, with artists and makers of every type finding a niche here. But unless we are intentional about preserving our creative economy, we risk losing what makes Portland special.
Thanks to the many community leaders, local artists and arts organizations, neighborhood groups, property owners, and developers who gave us feedback and helped to shape these recommendations.