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Uzbekistan lies at the heart of the Central Asia. One of only two doubly-landlocked countries in the world (the other is Liechtenstein) and a gateway to Iran and Afghanistan, this country is of strategic importance to Russia, China, and the United States. An independent nation since 1991, Uzbekistan’s emergence on the world stage compels it to think independently about the long-term effects of its decision-making.

This, we learned, after we received a request from a TV producer with the US Department of State and the
Office of Broadcast Support. He would be hosting three TV journalists from Tashkent, Uzbekistan, for a two-week study tour of US to document stories on "ecological advances in the US." The delegation would be attending the Better Living Show at Portland's Expo Center, he explained, and wondered if First Stop might be able to share some of Portland's sustainable innovations with the group. It wouldn't be enough to talk about what's happening in Portland, he insisted. First Stop would nee to help the crew bring Portland's policies and best practices to life for 30 million cable television viewers in Uzbekistan--in a single day!

Despite the threat of heavy rains and 40 MPH gusts, the crew started the day early on the Hawthorne Bridge for the morning commute. They met with BTA Executive Director Rob Sadowsky who shared the story of America's first bike counter with the visitors. It collects all sorts of data that helps us make the case for bicycles, he explained. When asked how groups like Cycle Oregon and the BTA are connected to Portland's government, Rob explained the important role that Portland's citizen activists play in the city's sustainability innovations.

(Click the images to view full size.)The delegation then headed to Metro for a talk with Councilor Bob Stacey and Senior Policy Advisor Andy Cotugno who outlined the region's smart growth strategies. First Stop Student Coordinator, Yelena Sasin, a fluent Russian speaker and Community Development undergraduate at Portland State, helped translate some of the more complex ideas. When asked if there were any drawbacks to their region-wide integrated land-use and transportation approach, the Metro experts explained that there were controversies, of course, but disagreements force us to come together to arrive at workable solutions.


Following a brief stop at the City Repair Project street mural at 8th and Holman, the group arrived at the ReBuilding Center where Executive Director Shane Endicott explained that although the place looks like it's all about keeping building materials out of landfills (a really important function, he emphasized) the true purpose of the ReBuilding Center is to provide sustainable funding stream for Our United Villages' community development activities like the Community Legacy Project.

Hungry for information, of course, but also ready for lunch, the crew arrived at the new Local Choice Market in the Pearl District, where owners Don and Georgeanne Sader shared a local, organic Halal meal and their company's green ethic with the Uzbekistanis seated around the large, locally sourced communal tables. Don shared his epiphany about the importance of local food which came when, while living in Italy, he tried (unsuccessfully) to buy a cucumber in November. Following the meal and a tour of the facility, Eric Loebel of B-Line Urban Delivery stopped by to share how B-Line's low-carbon inner-city food distribution model was in line with Portland's goals to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

The afternoon focus turned to Portland's urban landscape where innovations in green building and urban design contribute to a livable, walkable city. Jonah Cohen, Principal, THA Architecture, met the group at Historic Ankeny Square in Old Town where he walked the TV crew through the process underlying the redevelopment of Mercy Corps' World Headquarters as a catalyst for neighborhood redevelopment and explained the importance of Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland's history and civic activities.

Following a flash hailstorm that scattered the delegation to doorways and beneath bridges, the group hopped the streetcar to Portland's first green redevelopment effort, The Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center (aka Ecotrust Building) where landscape architect, Charles Brucker, PLACE Studio, explained Portland's rich parks system and the rationale behind the Pearl's parks sequence before walking the group through Jamison Square and Tanner Springs Parks.

The team wrapped up the day with a trip to Alberta Arts District where the Community Cycling Center's "Transportation Trivia Night" fundraiser was underway. The Uzbekistani's were slightly taken aback by the size and enthusiasm of the crowd that had come out to flex their transportation chops in support of the non-profit's efforts. They were also surprised that people from across sectors, including Mayor and First Lady Hales, would participate in such an event. "Where we are from the mayor would never go where 'ordinary people' are gathering. Or if they did, it would only be when the cameras were rolling and as soon as they stopped, they turn their backs on the people. It is interesting to see that in Portland the mayor is with the people--even at an event like this."

L to R: Mukhammadjon Bekmukhammedov, Journalist, NTT TV, Tashkent, Uzbekistan; Aazam Abidov, Press Assistant, US Embassy, Tashkent, Uzbekistan; George A. Santulli,  Senior TV Producer, US Department of State, Washington; Azizjon Akhmedjanov, Cameraman, NTT TV, Tashkent, Uzbekistan; Portland Mayor Charlie Hales.Below, a slideshow of the whirlwind day's activities 

When most people think of First Stop Portland, they probably think of our study tours, which are known for connecting leaders from around the globe for on the ground learning experiences via mobile workshops, field studies, presentations and debrief sessions. This is for good reason--we've hosted over 1800 visitors as part of 150 delegations since our program came online back in 2009.

Most folks probably don't know that First Stop Portland also develops customized field studies for conferences hosted here in Portland. From the 27th International Making Cities Livable Conference in the Spring of 2009 to our most recent, the 7th International Association on Planning, Law and Property Rights (PLPR) this February, First Stop has shared the Portland Story with over 1200 conference goers as part of 18 different national and international conferences.

Unlike "traditional" study tours for which First Stop develops programming based on the delegation's expressed goals or interests, programs developed as part of conferences must connect Portland's experts and experiences to a specific conference theme for a varied audience within a relatively short period of time. For example, our most recent conference, PLPR, was focused around discussions about ways that planning tools--both traditional and innovative--might be deployed, legally, for more efficient, fair city planning. Accompanied by local site host Al Burns, a Senior Planner at the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, the group spent the afternoon touring South Waterfront and the Pearl District by streetcar with FSP Program Director Nancy Hales before heading to the Brewery Blocks for a site visit and discussion with GBD Principal Bruce Brown, who shared his experiences with from the project's development. It's a matter of enlightened self-interest, Brown shared. Putting together a project in which multiple interests hold stake can be challenging. The lesson from the Brewery Blocks came when everyone realized they would have to give a little to achieve a collective win. The win, in this case being one of the most successful mixed-use urban development projects in the country to date.

With tour participants hailing from a range of fields and locales as disparate as Afghanistan, Germany, and The Netherlands to Wisconsin and Michigan, we wrapped up our afternoon with a debrief session that addressed the question how tools and strategies learned in the field during their visit might be adapted in response to current urban trends and challenges. Conference-goers also commented on what they found most surprising or remarkable during their time in Portland.

• "Portland is Jane Jacob's dream come true..."  answered one tour participant. The city is pretty, clean, and beautiful and has some of the best fountains in the world, another remarked. The question loomed: what will take in the future to maintain "Portland-style"  urban form and development?
• It can be hard to discern through on-the-street observation what's contextual and what's universal," offered another. "How will we translate 'smart growth' policy to shrinking cities?"
• The changing nature of the urban landscape--politically, economically, and geographically, was on everyone's minds. The impact of global climate change on urban areas will mandate near constant innovation in  environmental planning methods.
• Portland continues to excel at placemaking and fostering civil society through maintenance of the commons, but it should not take these processes or the relationship between them for granted. What strategies will we use to sustain our commitment to this ethic over time.
• Despite all the wonderful things happening in the city, Portland  really needs to do something about all the homeless people sleeping in the streets, a German visitor offered. 

First Stop recently hosted a delegation from Bangkok, Thailand comprised of 3 academics and 8 government officials who were in the US to attend the New Partners for Smart Growth Conference in Kansas City as guests of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Local Government Commission. While in the states, the Thais decided a trip to Portland was in order because of the city's reputation for innovative approaches to sustainable development. They hoped to learn more about Portland's tools like urban renewal, mixed use, land use, compact building design, housing choices, walkable neighborhoods, placemaking, and redevelopment of existing communities. While they were at it, they wanted to explore Portland's transportation choices, including streetcar, bicycle system, and transit-oriented development. In other words, they didn't want to see too much in a two-day visit!

The delegation was led by Dr. Tanapon Panthasen, a lecturer in the Division of Urban and Environmental Planning at Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand. Also on the trip were mayors of nearby municipalities, representatives of the Crown Property Bureau (a quasi-government agency responsible for managing the property of the Crown of the Kingdom of Thailand) and the head of the Smart Growth Thailand Institute.

The delegation visited City Hall where they exchanged ideas with representatives from Portland's Office of Equity and Human Rights and Office of Neighborhood Involvement. They also took time to discuss research with faculty from the Hatfield School of Government.

Then, they hit the streets, exploring Portland's complete neighborhoods by transit--aerial tram, light rail, streetcar, and bus-- from South Waterfront and the Pearl District to the Sunnyside Neighborhood and Belmont District.

What did these leaders from an Asian mega-city of 12M inhabitants think of their visit to the little city of Portland? During an informal debrief session on a downtown-bound #15 bus, the group shared their reflections on their two-day study tour.

Coming from what they referred to as "The Land of 10,000 Reasons Why Not," the delegation members expressed that they felt inspired by Portland's green growth aspirations.

• They hoped to translate the regional ideals of long-range planning, intergovernmental cooperation and region-wide collaboration back home, where, they said, sustainability projects are often undermined by short-range thinking and end up promoting interurban competition. 
• They viewed Portland's culture of civic engagement and formal structures for public participation in governance as a potentially viable solution for dealing with conflict and corruption in some of their more challenging projects back home.
• They observed a strong connection of people to nature and to place--from bioswales, net-zero houses, and bicycle boulevards in neighborhoods to the renovation of Harbor Drive into Tom McCall Waterfront Park. 
• And as for the food carts? "They feel just like home, only much more formal." 

We'll keep you posted about the group's efforts to convene a regional conference to share the ideas learned in Portland back at home.

"Would  First Stop Portland help the White House connect with local Portland innovators?" was this week's email inquiry. Our reply? A resounding YES!

Office of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers (ORACW) Executive Director Jay Williams had planned travel to Portland. While here, he wanted to connect with our manufacturing sector for a conversation about the city's efforts in promoting green manufacturing and how the federal government might be able to help.

First Stop Portland rose to the challenge, convening Portland's innovators from the public, private, advocacy, and university sectors. Seated at the table were Drive Oregon, OTREC, Looptworks Manufacturing, Oregon Micro-enterprise Network, Oregon BEST, AIMCO Global, CH2M Hill, Indow Windows, ONAMI, PDC, City of Portland, Metro, and PSU's College of Urban and Public Affairs and Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science.

Moderator Jonathan Fink, PSU Vice President for Research and Strategic Partnerships, started the session with the question "What makes Portland special?"  Metro President Tom Hughes answered, "Our habit of looking for regional solutions."  PSU Faculty Ethan Seltzer supported the benefits of a regional approach: "People say 'Portland' but mean the region--it's a brand."

What can Portland offer to recovering rust belt cities like Detroit or Youngstown, Ohio, where Williams served as mayor from 2006-2011?   

Collaboration and innovation, affirmed the group. As Dean Renjeng Su, of the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science framed it, "When ideas cross each other in a collaborative way, it results in an ecosystem that cannot be shipped away."


"We have a green reputation, but how do we stay relevant?" moderator Fink queried panel members.Portland has challenges, panelists reminded the visitors from Washington. Communities need federal support for education to build a more skilled workforce, offered Scott Hamlin of Looptworks. Small business needs technical support in the critical first six months start up period, including increased access to markets, capital, and supply chains suggested Marilyn Johnson, of Oregon Micro-enterprise Network

Is Portland the right place for federal manufacturing incubator investment? Our panel wanted to know if our city had a chance at the same federal funds that Youngstown was awarded.  
Williams encouraged Portland to learn from the Youngstown proposal as well as those put forth by cities that didn't make the cut. "With existing levels of collaboration, Portland is very competitive.... But you need to decide what your regional comparative advantage is going to be." The White House reps were impressed by their Portland visit, remarking that the city is a model for other American communities. "The region is a laboratory. It's clear that the quality of the natural and built and environment are high---it's a place that makes you want to be here."