Metropolitan Briefing Book

The Metropolitan Briefing Book is a biennial publication developed by the Institute to provide elected and appointed leaders in the six-county area with information about issues and trends common to all corners of the region. The Briefing Book will also be useful to citizens interested in understanding the economic and demographic context of the Portland region as well as the critical issues and challenges we face.

2005 Metropolitan Briefing Book

Below are links to articles from the 2005 Metropolitan Briefing Book, in the form of downloadable .pdf files. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to read the files; it can be downloaded free at www.adobe.com.

Introduction, by Sheila Martin and Craig Wollner

Critical Issues 2005, by Craig Wollner and Debra Elliott
Summarizes the results of the critical issues survey conducted by the institute.

Portland's Regional Economy: The Dynamics of Change, by Sheila Martin and Amy Vander Vliet Discusses the recession and recovery, and examines the structural changes taking place in the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan economy.

Population Outlook for the Portland Vancouver Metropolitan Area, by Barry Edmonston and Masud Hasan
Explores changes in the demographic characteristics of the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan region and their implications for the region's future.

Talent, Place, and Prosperity: Metro Portland's Changing Labor Market and Economic Outlook, by Joe Cortright
Examines changes in national and local labor markets and the role of migration in shaping Portland's economy opportunities

Environment, Economy, and Equity: Can We Find a Language for Fairness in
Regional Planning? by John Provo and Jill Fuglister
Looks at the role of equity in economic development decisions, particularly those that affect the location of different types of housing.

Trade, Transportation, and Freight Mobility: Invest Now or Pay Later? by Eric Jessup
Studies the importance of freight to the region's economy and discusses whether Portland's freight infrastructure is sufficient to capture the opportunities that will emerge as the recovery takes hold.