The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability’s (BPS) Economic Development Planning Program has three primary roles:

1. Develop land use policies and programs to support the vitality of Portland’s business districts, such as main streets, urban centers and industrial sanctuaries.
2. Integrate economic development analysis and policies into BPS planning projects, such as Portland Plan and Central City Plan Update.
3. Conduct a variety of economic studies and analyses, such as performance monitoring, interviews, market analysis and growth capacity analysis.

Current Projects

Comprehensive Plan Update

Portland’s Comprehensive Plan is the long-range plan that helps us prepare for and manage expected population and employment growth. Its economic development components include background reports, updated policies and provisions for adequate industrial and commercial growth capacity to 2035. The Comprehensive Plan Update is an implementation project for the Portland Plan.

• Draft Portland Economic Opportunities Analysis (BPS/E.D. Hovee & Co., March 2012)
• Portland Brownfield Redevelopment Assessment - underway
• Institutional Campus Growth Policy Study - underway

Portland Plan

Adopted in April 2012, the Portland Plan is the City’s 25-year strategic plan. It focuses on a core set of priorities for prosperity, education, health and equity. Each of these priorities has a detailed implementation strategy, including the Economic Prosperity and Affordability Strategy.

• Economic Prosperity and Affordability Strategy (BPS, May 2012)

Central City 2035

CC2035 is an update to the 1988 Central City Plan, which is the existing plan and policy for downtown and the central areas of Portland. Various background reports were prepared to support economic vitality policies in CC2035.

• Cost Competitiveness of the Central City (ZGF/ECONW, 2011)
• Downtown Portland Office Space Trends (Bay Area Economics, 2010)
• Economic Vitality Symposium Background Report (BPS, 2012)

Barbur Concept Plan

To inform community discussion around the Barbur Concept Plan, the Barbur Boulevard Corridor Market Analysis was completed to analyze demographic, housing, employment and commercial real estate trends along this major southwestern corridor.

• Barbur Corridor Market Analysis (BPS, 2011)

River Plan / North Reach

The River Plan is a comprehensive multi-objective plan for the land along the Willamette River. River Plan / North Reach addresses the Working Harbor section of the river. Its primary economic development component is the Working Harbor Reinvestment Strategy.

• Working Harbor Reinvestment Strategy (BPS, 2008)

Staff Contacts

Steve Kountz
Senior Economic Planner
steve.kountz@portlandoregon.gov
(503) 823-4551

Tyler Bump
Economic Planner
tyler.bump@portlandoregon.gov
(503) 823-7713