Breakfast Forum: Unlocking the Waterfront's Economic Potential

Description

For a city defined by its rivers, Portland has long underutilized one of its most valuable assets: the waterfront. While other peer cities have transformed their riverfronts into hubs of economic activity, housing, and public life, much of Portland’s remains fragmented, difficult to access, or disconnected from broader development strategies.

Today, that is beginning to change. As the region looks for new pathways to economic growth, the waterfront presents a significant and largely untapped opportunity—one that intersects with housing, transportation, recreation, and industrial land use. There is also a growing focus on how improved access and thoughtful placemaking can strengthen the connection between Portlanders and the river itself.

This Breakfast Forum will explore what it would take to unlock that potential. We’ll begin with a data-driven overview of the waterfront’s economic opportunity, followed by a conversation with leaders behind some of the region’s most significant waterfront projects, sharing what they are building and what it will take to bring that vision to life.