By Fred Delkin

        Portland has been credited far and wide for “smart growth planning” covering the past four decades.  This reputation will receive a  thorough examination at a conference entitled “Preserving the American Dream”, April 16-18 at Portland’s Airport Shilo Inn.  Speakers represent Great Britain, New Zealand and all regions of the United States.  The public is invited.

Our Rose City can no longer masquerade as the Mecca of smart growth.  Troubles here in paradise include some of the fastest-growing congestion in the nation, unaffordable housing, the nation’s highest unemployment rate and an increasing tax burden brought on by our political leaders’ penchant for funding rail transit and high-density developments...while ignoring sane economic development.

The American Dream conference organizers are offering attendees a tour of our area’s transit-oriented developments, and state that they will “hear about the subsidies going to these projects and whether they have succeeded in reducing auto usage and congestion.”  The conference agenda includes such topics as “New Urbanism and Crime,” the “Impacts of Smart Growth on Minorities,” “How to Build a new Transportation Coalition” and more.  Workshop topics include “Public Safety,” “Public Health,” “Killing Wasteful Rail Projects,” “Affordable Housing,” “Why Growth-Management Planning Doesn’t Work,” “Protecting Open Space,” “Protecting Air & Water Quality,” and “Transportation Planning.”

Speaker list impressive

Friday evening’s opening reception features a panel discussion by U.S. representative Earl Blumenauer, John Charles of the Cascade Policy Institute and Andy Kerr of Oregon Alternative to Growth.  Visiting experts represent Colorado, Illinois, California, South Carolina, Missouri, New Zealand, Washington, Virginia, Maryland, Texas, Washington D.C., Minnesota and England...each with prominent involvement in urban planning and transportation issues in their regions.

Academics are represented on speakers’ panels by Peter Gordon, professor of Planning & Development, University of Southern California; Sally Fairfax, professor of Natural Resources, University of California Berkeley, John Finley Scott, professor emeritus of Sociology, University of California Davis and Portland State professor of Urban Studies Gerard Mildner.

Local discussion leaders include David Hunnicutt of Oregonians in Action, Jon Chandler of Oregon Building Industry Association, John Charles of Cascade Policy Institute<eric Montague of the Washington State Policy Center and Randal O’Toole, author and economist with the Thoreau Institute....the latter organization, with an office in Bandon, follows the philosophy of Henry David Thoreau, perhaps America’s first true environmentalist, who declared “that government is best which governs least.” 

This philosophy is the direct opposite of the political forces which created the Portland area Metro  planning authority in 1992, with near-dictatorial powers over land use and transportation planning in Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties.  Metro has been the driving force behind light rail expansion and rezoning of neighborhoods to create higher density within strictly-proscribed urban boundaries.  Metro has found ways to fund an expanding light rail network despite voters’ rejection at the polls.  Metro has subsidized high density housing developments along rail routes.

Light rail investment not producing

Despite Metro funding and dictates, light rail expansion has imperceptibly altered regional transportation, with 92% of all passenger travel by auto and light rail accounting for only 1%.  The American Dream conference, according to O’Toole, will provide solid evidence that the “smart growth” planning as executed in the Metro region is the antithesis to “smart.”

Conference workshops will be conducted by experts from both public and private sectors to guide participants on how to protect property rights, maintain community mobility and insure affordable housing.  For those who lack the time to attend the entire American Dream conference, there will be a special workshop staged on Thursday April 15 at the Airport Shilo, featuring many of the speakers on the conference agenda.  

For attendance registration for this and to register for the main conference, go to go to http://americandreamcoalition.org/pad04.html

Or you can write to
American Dream Coalition,
P.O. Box 1590,
Bandon, Oregon 97411

Conference sponsors include Cascade Policy Institute, Central Arizona Home Builders, Heritage Foundation, Home Builders of Northern Kentucky. Oregonians in Action, Thoreau Institute, Washington Policy Center, Windway Foundation and New Zealand’s Centre for Resource Management.

© 2004 Oregon Magazine