URBASTUDIO — Portland «Working Waterfront»

Portland «Working Waterfront»

Why is industry always perceived as an enclave that should be avoided? Why should it be hidden and separated from our daily experience in cities? Can the river, on the contrary, become symbolic of all the landscapes and uses it traverses? Today, there is a worldwide urban process of reclaiming the river domain. Industries along the waterfronts are being pushed further away and replaced by new post-industrial landscapes, often generic in nature. However, these city/port interfaces are strategically located within cities and can become sites of experimentation, offering opportunities to reexamine the relationship between the city and the river.

This work proposes different strategies for the coexistence of industrial activities and public spaces in Portland. The project aims to integrate these two growing but potentially conflicting uses; it examines active industrial landscapes and their capacity to connect the city to the river in a more stimulating way.

Client
N/A

Team
N/A

Location
Portland, USA

Year
2016-2017

Program
Research as part of a program at the University of Berkeley, USA.

Area
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The grain elevators, cement silos, shipyard cranes along the Willamette River, and the bridges can become active monuments in the city. © URBASTUDIO.

Project of a panoramic trail along the working waterfront and redevelopment project of the former Terminal 1 of the Port of Portland: Redefining the industrial sector in an urban area © URBASTUDIO

Strategies for preserving industrial areas in the city and meeting the growing demand for housing and public spaces along the waterfront. © URBASTUDIO