Comment 29933

By jason (registered) | Posted April 04, 2009 at 11:35:59

This happened to me several times last week in Portland. I was standing on the sidewalk waiting to cross when vehicles in both directions stopped and waved me across. Also, the sheer number of stoplights in downtown Portland is amazing. Every block has a light and none of them are timed to go green. I sat in Pioneer Square in the heart of the city and was struck at how quiet it was. I could hear the sax player in the square, children laughing and running and people chatting on the cafe patio. LRT would rumble by every few minutes and cars quietly moved through the area at a safe, slow speed. In fact, I didn't see a single transport truck on a downtown area street the entire time in Portland. It should come as no surprise that in the middle of one of the worst US recessions since the 30's, cranes abound in downtown Portland new cafes/restaurants/shops are opening and expanding at a great pace. Cities like Hamilton get crushed in recession times. Cities like Portland and Pittsburgh that have intentionally created a great quality of life and business climate seem to fare quite well in the tough times.

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