Portland, OR - Simon Ott

My final blog for this class is of the place of my birth Portland, OR.  Though I didn't grow up in Portland I've passed through and visited it many a time.  The streets wind and turn, rise and fall crossing several bridges vack and forth across the river, it can be a challenge just to get where you want to go sometimes.  Quite different from the grided layout of OKC.  The city is a model of sustainable and walkable efforts.  I can attest to the beauty of the surrounding environment fostering an appreciation of the natural world resulting in the desire to preserve it.  The architecture in Portland is varied and distinct, I've passed by the convention center often and would recognize it anywhere.  The revitalization efforts of the various parts of downtown such as the Pearl District are examples to many cities accross the U.S.  The Wyatt Federal building has a 250' tall vertical garden and is a model of sustainable construction.  The Portland moto has served it well in many respects "Keep Portland Weird".  It was "weird" to go green, it was "weird" to be sustainable and it was "weird" to make your city walkable.  I'm happy to have been born there and certianly consider myself "weird" as well.