“Portland is about to grow,” he told voters.
“And how we grow is very important.”
That year, Portland’s population was about 450,000.
Hales won the election, and two more.
Hales is also credited with helping build or renovate more than 100 Portland parks.
In 2012, when theAARP online grid of Age-Friendly Communitiesdebuted, Portland was an inaugural member.
The following interview with Mayor Hales was conducted by AARP Oregon volunteer Elaine Friesen-Strang.
Why is this important for the city?
Of course we’re among the first American cities to join!
Portland has been a walkable city for well over a century.
(That’s true for all of Oregon, not just Portland.)
Plus we’ve embraced public transit with buses, light rail trains and streetcars.
And we have such a vibrant parks and recreation system.
So being an age-friendly city is in our DNA.
A Plan for Portland
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What do you hope to accomplish with the city’s Age-Friendly Plan?
I have long believed fairness has to be the North Star that guides our policies.
The things we love about this town, we want everyone to share.
And that includes our older residents.
One way to make that a more likely scenario is by embracing “complete neighborhoods.”
Complete neighborhoods have well-maintained streets and sidewalks.
Complete neighborhoods feel safe.
I talk a lot about"placemaking,“and complete neighborhoods is what I mean.
When asked about Portland being a world-class city, my response is: I want world-class neighborhoods.
But that shouldn’t be true only for a few neighborhoods.
Our goal is for every Portlander to share in the things we love about Portland.
Again, it’s about fairness and equity.
Stereotypes of Portland typically refer to attributes and trends of a younger demographic.
YetPortland’s population of older residents is projected to increase dramatically by 2030.
How do you see the aging population fitting within the Portland culture?
What contributions and impact can older adults have on the community?
Becoming older doesn’t change many of the things people love about Portland.
It’s a lovely place.
People are friendly and laid back.
The arts scene and the food scene are here for Portlanders regardless of age.
But Portland is also a place where residents can and do have a major impact on their community.
Other mayors are amazed at how connected our residents are.
We have land-use hearings that draw scores of people who are passionate and well-versed about land-use policy!
That’s rare in most places but common in Portland.
And, to be honest, it’s quite often our older Portlanders who get involved at that level.
Then, there are the physical activities.
Maybe you’re hiking amid wildflowers inWashington Parkor kayaking on theWillamette Sloughinstead.
We have a world-famous parks and recreation system, and it’s only getting better.
Access to nature is definitely a draw for our older residents.
In 2011, the City of Portland created the Office of Equity and Human Rights.
Are there specific issues the office has identified for older adults?
If so, what’s being done to address their needs?
OEHR continues work on the resolution making Portland a model employer of people with disabilities.
Resulting from a partnership with itsCommission on Disability, all videos posted to city websites must be captioned.
The City of Portland also requires its contractors and grantees to comply with this policy.
