Welcome!
This web page chronicles our investigation of unimproved streets in Woodstock neighborhood of SE Portland. We seek to understand how these streets are used and perceived by Woodstock residents, and then to outline alternative options for community-based improvement strategies and temporary uses. Please contact us with questions or comments at: RoadwayNotImproved@gmail.com  LARKE consists of five students in the Master of Urban & Regional Planning program at Portland State University who will be working as consultants to the Woodstock Neighborhood Association from January to May of 2010. | Roadway Not Improved Toolkit and Report- Now Online! The Toolkit The Report / Report Executive Summary |
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Pilot Project Underway!
Adjacent property owners as well as other interested
citizens are working to repair a 20-foot wide pothole in an effort to improve
safety and enhance aesthetics on an unimproved segment of Carleton. Called The Lake Carleton Pilot Project, the
group recently received $2,000 in seed money from the SE Uplift Small Grant Program.
They have also secured pro-bono assistance from the local engineering firm of
Harper Houf Peterson Righellis Inc. for technical assistance with the
project. The group hopes to get the design phase underway in February and to
begin “work parties” in spring 2011, when the lake dries out. Below: Residents brainstorming grant strategies at an October meeting.  |
'RNI' nominated for national award
Roadway Not Improved has been nominated for the 2011 American Institute of Certified Planner's student project award, in recognition of a project that demonstrates public involvement, grassroots initiative, implementation, and best practices in planning. Congratulations to everyone! The enthusiasm, participation, and dedication of all those involved with improving Portland's unimproved streets has not gone unnoticed. |
On the Presentation Circuit
It's been awhile since an update on the progress of Roadway Not Improved, but that doesn't mean LARKE hasn't been busy with the project! Since completing the community toolkit and report in June, the results of the project have been in high demand. To date, LARKE has presented findings to the City of Portland Bicycle Advisory Committee, SW Trails Group, and the Portland Planning Commission. Additionally, LARKE is scheduled to speak at the Bureau of Transportation's February staff meeting. |
Final Party Thursday, June 10th
We are in the process of finishing up work on two final project documents: a Final Report, geared toward city policymakers, and a Community Toolkit, geared toward property owners and residents along unimproved streets. Please join us for the unveiling of the Toolkit at a Woodstock neighborhood gathering on Thursday, June 10th, from 5-7PM, at the corner of SE 45th & Carlton. We will probably say a few words at 6 p.m. and encourage you to stop by at any time to chat with neighbors and have a bite to eat. Feel free to bring a snack to share. Woodstock residents are welcome, as well as anyone who is interested in our project. If you can't make it, the Final Report and Toolkit will be posted on our website after the event, and we are happy to make additional presentations of our findings throughout the summer. Just email us at roadwaynotimproved@gmail.com. |
LID Focus Group on Wednesday
We would love to hear from Woodstock residents who have explored the option of forming a "Local Improvement District" to complete street improvements. What response did you receive from the Bureau of Transportation? Did you and your neighbors choose to form an LID? Why, or why not? Please come share your experiences this Wednesday! LID Focus Group Wednesday, May 12th 7 PM to 8 PM Papacinno's 4411 Southeast Woodstock Boulevard So that we can be prepared, please send an RSVP to roadwaynotimproved@gmail.com. |
Open House Success!
Thanks
to the 51 adults and handful of children who attended today's open
house at the Woodstock Community Center. We were thrilled that so many
people were able to stop by and chat with us one-on-one about
opportunities and barriers for developing strategies for unimproved
streets. At the open house, participants were able to learn about:
Participants were provided with stickers and post-its for commenting on the design alternatives and their feasibility for particular locations in the neighborhood. Several attendees participated in our "design your own street" station, including many children whose colorful renderings we hope to post on the website soon along with all of our findings from the open house. If you were unable to attend, you can view the materials presented at the open house here. Please feel free to send comments on any of the material via email to roadwaynotimproved@gmail.com. Our next step will be to compile a toolkit of information and resources for residents interested in collaborating to explore alternative concepts for unimproved streets. We will also be developing a final report that will include recommendations for city policy. Thanks for visiting and thanks for your interest in our project! Sincerely, Leah Al Rani Katie Emily |
Emerging Themes
We are currently combing through the opinions and ideas voiced during the Discovery Session held on February 27th. Individual perceptions of
streets vary widely. Safety, garbage and accessibility were identified as
common concerns during the Discovery Session. However, many
participants expressed appreciation for country charm of unpaved
streets, and most voiced interest in exploring some kind of re-purposing
of right-of-way space, with ideas ranging from shared pathways to
linear gardens to dog agility courses. If
there is one opinion that many community members seem to share in
common, it is the feeling that paving all of the streets is not a
desirable outcome. We will be posting a more detailed summary of Discovery Session themes and Survey findings in coming weeks. Come back soon! |
Discovery Session - Thank You!
Thanks to the more than 40 (!) community members who attended the Woodstock Discovery Session this past Saturday, Feb. 27. We gathered a lot of valuable information that will be useful in shaping the rest of our project, and we hope this event provided you with some new perspectives on unimproved streets. We will be posting a preliminary summary of feedback from the session on the website this week, as well as the results of our Street Inventory. We'll also be attending the WNA meeting Wednesday night to provide a quick update. Don't forget to tell your neighbors about the survey! |
Time in Woodstock
We’ve certainly been enjoying our recent visits to the Woodstock Neighborhood! We explored the neighborhood during our street inventory. We ate well at the Gala Vegetarian Potluck. We've had the opportunity to ask a few residents about their feelings about unimproved streets. We hope to ask more questions at our Discover Session tomorrow morning, starting at 10am! From 10 to 11, we’ll be presenting the results of our inventory, and our discussions with City of Portland representatives. From 11 to 12 (noon), we’ll be asking residents to express their feelings about unpaved streets, and their hopes for the future. We’re also seeking input through our online survey. Please encourage your neighbors to participate, especially if they are unable to attend the Discovery Session! |
E-mail Sign-up
A heartfelt thank you to the coordinators and attendees of Wednesday's
Woodstock Neighborhood Association meeting! We appreciated the
opportunity to introduce ourselves. It was great to see such a good
turnout, and to hear passionate debate about neighborhood issues. Several residents signed up to receive additional information from us. If you want to make sure that you're on our sign up sheet, please e-mail RoadwayNotImproved@gmail.com. We'll send you reminders about our public meetings, as well as alternative means of providing input. And of course, if you see us out on the street, please stop by and say hello! |
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