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The May Urban Design Panel welcomes Metro staff who are leading the region's Future Vision Project, which brings communities across greater Portland together to create a 50-year visionary outlook for the region.  The Future Vision will set the course for policies, programs, and projects that will work toward a better future for the greater Portland region. It will touch on a wide range of topics, from land use, transportation, and our economy to housing, climate, nature, arts, and culture.

 Come learn how you can shape the future of the region, and before you do that, participate in the project by taking the community survey open through May 15!

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The City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) and Mayer/Reed will share the findings from the Central City Waterfront Urban Design Study, which identifies opportunities for urban design interventions and redevelopment along the Central City waterfront of the Willamette River. This collection of strategies is intended to focus public investments, facilitate private development and support community initiatives in the district east of 4th Avenue in Old Town/Chinatown, Downtown and South Downtown. The menu of ideas presented will vary from interim, temporary and tactical treatments to more permanent medium-term projects.

Join us for an exciting opportunity to introduce high school students to the field of landscape architecture at the NW Youth Career Expo! Students will be exploring career booths, and we would love for you to represent ASLA and share your passion for the profession.

Our booth will feature engaging display boards showcasing the impact and possibilities within landscape architecture, along with meaningful conversations to help guide students as they consider their future careers.

We’ll have snacks and drinks for volunteers and plants to give away to students. Even an hour or two of your time would make a big difference.

If you have any questions, please reach out to studentliaison@aslaoregon.org. We hope to see you there!

Click here to volunteer at our booth.

Learn a bit about Bend water history and geohydrology, our water sources and water conservation efforts, and engage in discussion about how the landscape industry plays a crucial role in efficient water use. Topics will include right-of-way landscapes, water waste, and important synergy between water conservation, trees and firewise efforts.

Please RSVP to highdesert@aslaoregon.org if you plan on attending.

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The Reconnecting Albina Planning Project (RAPP) will create urban development strategies for Lower Albina that foster equitable and sustainable outcomes, centered on restorative development for Portland’s historic Albina and Black communities. Funded through a Federal Department of Transportation Reconnecting Communities grant, Reconnecting Albina is an approximately two-year project likely to be completed in the fall of 2026. The project will create an updated land use and transportation framework to support equitable urban development in Lower Albina.

Albina Vision Trust (AVT), the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS), Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), and Prosper Portland will collaborate to establish, align, and leverage partnerships and investments that support redevelopment opportunities in the district, including on the new I-5 highway cover being developed by the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Following an Open House event in December 2025, the project team is in the process of reviewing community feedback and planning another series of engagement events in the late spring/early summer 2026. This engagement, and subsequent analysis, will help inform the final project deliverables which include a Community Participation Plan (CPP) and a Development Framework Plan.

Speakers – City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability

Cassie Ballew, City Planner, Urban Design

Cassie has over 15 years of combined experience in planning, urban design and architecture. Her experience includes work as an architectural designer, as a planner conducting permit and land use reviews and as an urban designer, working on the development of design standards, guidelines and concepts for large area plans in Portland. Cassie previously helped lead the development of the urban design framework and character statements for the River Plan South Reach, West Portland Town Center and Montgomery Park Area Plans.

Mike Serritella, Senior Planner, Transportation

Mike brings a decade of public-sector planning experience in Portland, building on a second career in teaching and education advocacy in New York City and Denver, Colorado. His interdisciplinary background informs a people-centered, equity-driven approach to urban design and transportation planning, with a focus on creating safer, more vibrant, and more accessible streets and public spaces.

At the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), Mike has led major corridor- and district-level planning efforts including Northwest in Motion and North Portland in Motion, as well as key streetscape projects on N/NE Broadway and Willamette Boulevard. Across his portfolio, Mike integrates transportation, development, and public space design with community engagement and interagency collaboration to achieve practical, equity-focused outcomes.

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The December Urban Design Panel welcomes Brian Squillace, Principal of Bora Architecture & Interiors, and Amanda Ufheil-Somers, Project Manager at ECOnorthwest, to share more about Social Housing Models in practice. In September, Brian and Amanda joined a local contingent of housing professionals and thought leaders, who participated in an educational trip to Vienna, Austria to learn more about the city’s existing housing stock.

Vienna’s system of housing promotion is globally recognized and one of most important tools for continuing to provide a sufficient quota of affordable dwellings despite rising demand. Today, approximately 60% of the Viennese population lives in subsidized dwellings – either in one of the 220,000 municipal units or in one of the 200,000 limited profit flats built with municipal subsidies.

Showcasing Vienna as a primary case study of social housing, Brian and Amanda will reflect on their travel observations, and share insights on what components of a social housing framework might be explored locally.

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For the November Urban Design Panel, The Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) Program will share a Program update and walk through the design concepts being studied in the environmental review process. The presentation will illustrate the need for a replacement bridge, outline the design options under consideration, and show early examples of architectural elements that were informed by discussions with Program partners and feedback from the community. The presentation will also highlight upcoming milestones, including completion of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) and receiving an Amended Record of Decision (ROD), which provides federal approval needed to begin construction. 

Participants are invited to watch the architectural elements workshop recordings from July and August in advance so they can prepare specific questions about the urban design work.

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For September’s Urban Design Panel, Mayer/Reed and BPS will be presenting a Central City Urban Design Study focusing on our urban waterfront, requesting feedback on the initial phases of the study.

The City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) will share scope and progress in a recently kicked off effort to identify opportunities for urban design interventions and redevelopment along the Central City waterfront of the Willamette River.

Mayer/Reed will share results from the Urban Design Analysis phase that help identify important corridors, activity nodes, and opportunities for urban design interventions.  The focus areas resulting from this analysis will highlight opportunities for future development and possible interventions varying from discrete, interim, temporary, tactical treatments to more permanent medium and long-term projects.

Registration link

Next Wednesday, August 20th, we will be gathering at historic Dorris Ranch in Springfield from 5:30 to 8:00.  This event is FREE to ASLA members, plus one guest.  Kids 12 and under are also free.  Additional guests are $25.00 and additional kids 13+ are $10.00.  We will be serving barbecue and will have a bar set up for both alcoholic (1 free drink ticket, Venmo or cash thereafter) and non-alcoholic beverages.  This is a great opportunity to relax, socialize and network with your colleagues in Architecture, Construction, Engineering and Landscape Architecture and we would love to see you there!

Follow the link below to register:

Register Here

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Design-Build Overview of Hillsboro’s Future Year-Round Shelter: A Compassionate Approach to Supportive Housing

The August Urban Design Panel invites Dave Otte, Principal and Owner of Holst Architecture to share more about the City of Hillsboro's future Year-Round shelter. In collaboration with Washington County and Metro, the shelter will provide adults with emergency shelter, wrap-around support, and connections to housing. The 76-bed facility is located on a City-acquired property at the corner of SW 17th Ave and TV Highway and offers immediate access to frequent service transit, employment, food, medical car, and other important services. The project programming and design has quickly advanced from detailed concepts in Summer 2024 to construction in January 2025, and expects to open in Winter 2025.  

Dave Otte will highlight the team's important considerations for site design, the thoughtful integration of indoor/outdoor transitions, and their compassionate approach to supportive housing programming that balances inviting community spaces with privacy for individuals. He will also share more about the teams design-build delivery method. Hillsboro's Year-Round Shelter serves as an important case study for the benefits of design-build and how it's implementation can translate to significant cost and schedule savings for a client, bring innovative quality and design, and ultimately a more collaborative effort to the design and construction phases of a project.

Join a dynamic roundtable discussion with firm leaders featured in the 2024 ASLA Landscape Architecture Industry Report as we explore key trends and uncover new developments shaping the profession in 2025. Since the initial interviews conducted in mid-2024, the landscape has continued to evolve—from changing economic conditions and shifting client priorities to workforce challenges and supply chain dynamics. 

This conversation will explore how firms are adapting in real time, what strategies are working, and where the profession may be headed next. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear candid insights from leaders across the field and contribute your own perspective on what’s emerging, what’s shifting, and what’s next.

Learning Objectives:  

By the end of this session, participants will be able to: 

• Analyze how firm leaders are responding to economic conditions in 2025, including new business strategies, service pivots, and client engagement approaches. 

• Evaluate current challenges and solutions related to employee recruitment and retention, workplace culture, and emerging professional support. 

• Identify key shifts in construction costs, materials, and client priorities—and how firms are managing expectations, timelines, and project types in response. 

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