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Mar 30 2017

A tree is nice – and if you buy one for Earth Day the City of Portland will put money back in your hands

When my kids were little, we read the Caldecott-Award-winning storybook that offers a child’s view of why “a tree is nice.” With Arbor and Earth Day coming up April 22nd, it’s timely to review the many virtues of trees.

Trees are very nice. They fill up the sky. They go besides the rivers and down the valleys. They live up on the hills. Trees make the woods. They make everything beautiful.   – Janice May Udry

Stumptown, 1857 (Oregon Historical Society)

In its frontier days of breakneck growth and timber clearing, Portland was dubbed Stumptown. About 160 years on, the City aspires to the nickname ‘Treetown’ for grown-up economic and environmental reasons.

As every realtor knows, trees boost property values. How much? According to one study, each large front-yard specimen increases a home’s sale price by 1 percent. Neighborhoods with good tree cover enjoy a 6-9 percent price edge over those without. Lower income communities see the highest gains from tree planting and landscaping, by the way.

Curb appeal

Trees also reduce homeowners’ utility costs. Two 25-foot trees on the west side of a house result in yearly savings of about 36 percent on cooling bills and 7 percent on heating bills. When whole cities commit to trees, everyone benefits. A good canopy cover lowers both summertime highs (by 5-9 degrees Farenheit) and demand for air conditioning.

Urban tree canopies also help preserve our natural capital, removing greenhouse gases and pollutants from the air. By one estimate, planting 30,000 trees a year for five years will absorb 75,000 tons of carbon dioxide at a cost of just $34 per ton. By another, the tree cover in the Willamette and Lower Columbia Region removes 89,000 tons of pollutants annually.

Our urban canopy and watershed

As they clear the air, trees also clean our water. Urban canopies absorb and filter storm water – to the tune of about 845 gallons per year per tree – that would otherwise flood sewers and pollute waterways. They also help recharge groundwater supplies.

As recently as 1991, 6 billion gallons of untreated sewage and storm water flowed into the Willamette and Columbia Rivers every year. Facing an Environmental Protection Agency order, the City built new “grey” infrastructure like a $1.5 billion wastewater storage tunnel. Over time, Portland has given higher priority to building our green infrastructure, a more cost-effective approach to protecting the watershed.

The City launched the Grey to Green program in 2008. Tree planting is one of 6 key activities to improve water and air quality, wildlife habitat and livability. The other pillars of the program are acquiring and protecting open spaces, constructing green street planters, building eco-roofs, controlling invasive species and restoring natural vegetation.

As part of Gray to Green, Portland runs an annual “treebate” from September 1 to April 30. If you plant a tree during this period, your water and sewer utility bill will be credited for half the purchase price up to $15 for small species, $25 for medium species and $50 for large species. Click here for details. Local non-profit Friends of Trees partners with the City in the treebate, helping homeowners to choose, buy and plant.

Legacy trees in the Park Blocks

In part as a result of these efforts, Portland can rightly be called Treetown. Covering about 30 percent of the city, our urban forest canopy made the top 10 list compiled by conservation group American Forests a few years back. But the City isn’t resting on its laurels. Much of the canopy we enjoy today is the legacy of previous generations and needs to be restocked as it reaches maturity. Its quality can also be improved. There is not enough diversity (for example, maples and elms are overrepresented and vulnerable to disease and pests) and we need more species that will be large at maturity.

You can check out the health of the canopy in your neighborhood here. If your area doesn’t have a tree report card yet, you can help organize one. Across Portland, community volunteers have worked with the Parks & Recreation Department to inventory neighborhood trees and develop improvement plans. There’s always work to be done – pruning, planting and so on.

Well-being, recreation and aesthetic pleasure

In addition to their economic and environmental value, trees provide these social benefits:

  • Improved health and psychological well-being
  • Privacy, sound barriers and wind breaks
  • Lower crime rates
  • Stronger community ties
  • Recreation
  • Aesthetic pleasure

Believe it or not, these intangibles can be quantified with hedonic pricing, a method commonly used to calculate the effect of environmental features on the market price of housing. I suspect the hedonic value of Portland’s urban canopy is a factor in the tide of migration to the city and rapidly rising home prices.

Doug Fir majesty

Though my head understands the need for such valuations in public policy and commerce, my heart doubts that you can put a price on our urban canopy – or put the appeal of trees into words, for that matter. Maybe that’s why the storybook comes to mind. Maybe there’s no better testament to their power than the childlike wonder of A Tree Is Nice.

 

 

 

 

Written by Catherine Quoyeser · Categorized: livability, sustainability, Uncategorized, urban planning and services · Tagged: livability, sustainability, uban planning and services

Feb 25 2017

Make your Portland home a sanctuary of light even in moody winter weather – taking cues from Nordic design

Winter skies

Having lived in a suburb of Copenhagen for 5 years and remodeled a 1963 house there, I’m at home with contemporary Scandinavian design and Danish hygge – both creative responses to gloomy weather. Hard to translate, hygge means something like comfort, beauty, and companionship in daily life, especially in the dark winter months.

I missed these aspects of the culture on moving to Portland. Also long, grey and wet, our winters can bring on SAD-ness (Seasonal Affective Disorder).

Ironically, our weather was apparently part of the attraction for the 150,000 Nordic immigrants who settled in the Pacific Northwest around the turn of the 20th century. Along with the climate, the region’s landscapes and key industries – farming, fishing, and timber – reminded them of home. Today, an estimated 10 percent of Oregonians have Nordic ancestry.

We may never see another wave like that to our shores. But there’s nothing to stop us from assimilating elements of contemporary Nordic design. Of course, that’s already happening.

Hans Wegner’s wishbone chair (Robert Moffatt, Flickr Creative Commons)

It gives me a warm, hygge feeling to see icons of Danish design like wishbone chairs in the Pearl’s Design within Reach showroom, the largest in North America. Or the stark white silhouettes of Vestas wind turbines on the peaks of the Columbia River Gorge. Or to eat smorrebrod (open-faced sandwiches) at the outpost of Broder Café in the airy modernist home of the Scandinavian Heritage Foundation on Oleson Road. And I look forward to experiencing the new James Beard Public Market and the Willamette Falls Riverwalk, both to be designed by the renowned Norwegian firm, Snohetta.

But the real inspiration for this posting are two articles I came across when scouting content for my Facebook page:

  1. A Dwell story about a native Oregonian and her Swedish husband who remodeled a Rummer house in southwest Portland to create a “beacon of light”
  2. A Remodelista story about a mid-century modern house near Seattle that was reimagined in a “modern Scandinavian way” to “capitalize on sunlight throughout the year”
This fine Rummer is 1 of 29 in the west side’s Oak Hills neighborhood

Scandinavians have long championed and adapted modernist architecture. So it’s no surprise that the Swedish half of the Portland couple gravitated to a Rummer. Named after the local developer who started building them here in 1959, Rummers are modernist in style, with:

  • Rectangular and asymmetrical shapes
  • Clean lines and minimal ornamentation
  • Liberal use of glass, often as a structural element
  • Open plan layouts

Many are built around atriums that may be open air or enclosed with glass walls, vaulted glass roofs, and clerestory windows extending upward from the roof line.

Click here to see mid-century homes $400K and up on the west side

Bringing the outside in and the inside out (John Clark, Dwell)

These features harvest lots of sunlight and allow it free passage. Surrounded by frosted glass panels that offer privacy and light, the front door of the Dwell Rummer opens on an enclosed atrium with spiky potted trees. The atrium, in turn, opens on the sitting room, which has floor-to-ceiling windows and a sliding glass door overlooking the patio and garden beyond. As Bob Rummer said in an Oregon Home interview, his homes “bring the inside out or the outside in.”

Overlaying the modernist bones of the house is a typically Scandinavian décor. Most of the walls and the brick fireplace are painted white. Along with the white poured concrete floors (which have radiant heat), they reflect light. The interiors are clean and uncluttered, with streamlined and “bare-legged” furnishings – again allowing light to move freely through the space. White surfaces are warmed by wood elements: the rich deck in the atrium, the side chair in the sitting room, and the dining table. The spaces are finished with touches of character or quirkiness – like the unruly shag rug, the grey floral geometries of the dining area’s Finnish wallpaper (that reminds me of Spirograph drawings), and the lemon-yellow front door.

Click here to see mid-century homes $400K and up on the west side

From left to right and top to bottom Yolo bestsellers Water .02 & .06 and Leaf .04 & .05

This approach to color runs counter to prevailing theory and practice in our corner of the world. For example, a Portland Monthly article explains how to choose wall paint “for the Northwest light.” It recommends muted tones developed by local companies, Yolo and Devine. Offering similar advice for Seattle interiors, Apartment Therapy says colors that “reflect the moody weather” are best.

From left to right Devine bestsellers Mocha, Peanut and Paprika

Recommended paints combine hues from the color wheel (such as red and green to make brown) or are “knocked back” with additions of grey or black. Mixing colors this way reduces their purity or vibrancy and saps their ability to reflect light.

Colors that swim against the moody current of Pacific NW weather (John Clark, Dwell)

Scandinavians, on the other hand, swim against the moody currents of their weather. White is their go-to color for walls because it does the best job of reflecting light. Most interiors are monochromatic – with black and gray elements for contrast and gravitas. Given the cultural preference for natural materials, wood often enters the picture in pale or blonde tones that are warm but reflect light. Finally, there is a tradition of vibrant accent colors on the pure or saturated end of the spectrum. When accents are mixed, it’s with white (the most reflective color) not black (the least reflective color). For example, the lemony tint of the front door in the Dwell Rummer house adds a jolt of energy without stealing light.

Click here to see mid-century homes $400K and up on the west side

Obsessed with sunshine, the Scandinavians are on to something. Research shows that access to light enhances energy, sleep, and emotional health. So we need to make the most of it in our homes, offices, and schools – especially in winter months.

Of course, modernist architecture isn’t for everyone and Portland has an enviable stock of early 20th-century homes and cottages. Also featured on my Facebook page, the following stories show how they can be opened up to light without sacrificing their architectural character or integrity.

  • NY Times story on a modernized Foursquare in Portland
  • Luxe story 1 and story 2 on renovated Craftsman homes in Seattle
  • Elle Décor story on an updated Craftsman in LA
  • Sunset story about bringing light into a 1930’s cottage in Santa Monica

Written by Catherine Quoyeser · Categorized: design, home improvement, livability · Tagged: design, home improvment, livability

Nov 05 2016

Too much stuff or planning a move? NW Organizing Solutions to the rescue

beth-gilesOn any given day, Beth Giles may be creating a filing system, lugging tires around a garage or delivering a carload of castoffs to Goodwill. Since 2008 she has parlayed an uncanny gift for organizing homes, offices and moves into a successful business: NW Organizing Solutions.

Her work as a professional organizer is a mission, not just an occupation. And her focus is people more than things.

“Clutter and chaos come from hiccups in life,” she says, “from financial, health, relationship or other challenges.”

Beth helps people bring order and clarity to their surroundings – and achieve more peace within. Though she can deliver “house beautiful” or organize a move at the drop of a hat, she knows that each client’s journey is personal and unique. So she works in a spirit of partnership and dialogue.

“I ask questions that help clients decide what solutions work for them, what things they can let go of and when they’ve reached satisfaction with the results.”

Asked about her proudest moments, she mentions a client whose home was filled to the brim and thought her health was failing.

“She made her first Good Will donation – a basket of just 5 items – 6 weeks into our weekly sessions. But soon, I’d leave her home with my car half full. And after some months, it was crammed every time.”

Eventually the client got a clean bill of health and decided not to move. But the habits of order and simplicity stuck. Now friends, she and Beth have lunch a few times a year and she invites Beth in to “inspect” her home and keep her accountable.

Though a seasoned veteran, Beth never stops learning or sharing her knowledge and insights. She serves on the Board of Directors for the state chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), which holds monthly training events. She is also a member of the National Association of Senior Move Managers. This year she attended a local workshop on hoarding organized by Multnomah County. And the annual NAPO conference in Atlanta included sessions on working with people with ADHD and memory problems. Beth dispenses free advice and tips in two monthly newsletters: Organizing Tips and On the Move.

Not surprisingly, her business runs almost entirely on referrals from happy clients.

“I get so much back from the people I work with – hearing about their lives and how they’ve overcome obstacles. And you wouldn’t believe the number of hugs I get when I finish jobs!”

Written by Catherine Quoyeser · Categorized: home improvement, livability, Uncategorized · Tagged: home improvement, livability

Oct 14 2016

If you live in unincorporated Washington County, Virginia Bruce has news for you

virginia-with-outline“I have a passion for community. If people understand the place where they live, they’ll be more likely to stay and invest themselves in it.”

This is how 70-year-old Virginia Bruce sums up her life philosophy and her life work.

Founded in 2003, her 12-page monthly Cedar Mill News has been described as a “must-read” for anyone who wants to know what’s going on in the community by Oregon Live.

Interviewed in the white geodesic dome where she offices just off NW Murray Rd, Virginia talks fluently about many facets of community life:

  • Virtual chats with her neighbors in 97229 on Nextdoor.com
  • The local Business Association board member responsible for banners and flower baskets along NW Cornell Rd and other thoroughfares
  • The need for parks in the new Bonny Slope West development
  • Traffic fatalities on county roads
  • The Cider Festival held every October
  • Plans to restore the 1869 saltbox house of John Quincy Adams Young, who came to the area on the Oregon Trail and gave Cedar Mill its name
  • Governance of urban unincorporated areas (UUAs)…and more

In fact, the area’s unincorporated status is a common thread across many of the topics and issues Virginia covers. Since its days as a rural outpost served by postmaster JQA Young from the saltbox family home, Cedar Mill has relied heavily on private, volunteer and improvised efforts to meet community needs. Even as Virginia continues this tradition with her newspaper, she asks herself and others if there might be a better way.

With Washington County’s growth almost double the state average, densely populated suburbs – including Cedar Hills, Garden Home, Raleigh Hills, West Slope, Aloha and Bethany – still function in a governance grey area. They have passed on the early incorporation examples set by Beaverton, Hillsboro, Forest Grove and Tigard. At the same time, Cedar Mill and other UUAs have resisted annexation by both Portland and Beaverton.

As a result of this history, services normally provided by city governments – water supply, sanitation, roads, schools, parks and libraries – have developed piecemeal through single purpose service districts, private companies, county taxes or volunteer contributions. Though Cedar Mill maintains a Portland address and zip code, for example, it’s served by the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District and Beaverton Independent School District. Its library was built by volunteers.

The quality of these basic services is generally high, says Virginia. But a 6-part series on the governance of Cedar Mill identifies areas where it lags behind neighboring cities, including representation and voice in local government, infrastructure (such as sidewalks, crosswalks and traffic lights), public spaces and events, community identity and planning, and economic development. Published in 2008, the last installment of the series sums up the choices open to Cedar Mill and other UUAs.

Whether we can get the kind of community we need and deserve without a city to guide our development remains to be seen. Alternatives to annexation or incorporation might include a strong private community development association, the village/hamlet concept that’s being explored in Clackamas County (we could learn from their successes and mistakes), even the provision of another urban service district specifically to deal with [services that are inadequate or lacking].

Eight years on, Virginia’s quick to concede that the County has stepped up its game and law enforcement and road services have improved. But she remains concerned about community identity and economic development.

Whatever the future holds, Virginia and her newspaper are pioneering guides to Cedar Mill. Her curiosity, energy and heart help residents understand its past and present, imagine its future, and feel a part of and give back to the community.

 

Written by Catherine Quoyeser · Categorized: livability, neighborhoods, urban planning and services · Tagged: livability, neighborhoods, urban planning and services

Jun 20 2015

Good news for Portlanders – livability is also profitable

ian-sane-autumn-evening-bench-commercial-ok-w-attribution
(Ian Sane)

As Portlanders know, walkable urban development is good for the environment and for community ties. But it also builds prosperity.

At an annual trade meeting last month, realtors and real estate developers learned about the growing demand for and economic benefits of walkable urban neighborhoods.

  • Walkable areas generate four times the tax revenue of regional and business malls.
  • They have a 41 percent higher Gross Domestic Product compared to non-walkable areas.
  • Though home prices are generally higher in walkable neighborhoods, they are actually more affordable to residents because transportation costs – usually the second largest household expense after housing – are lower. People living in walkable areas spend 43 percent of their income on housing and transportation on average, while those in non-walkable areas spend 48 percent.

Panelists at the May meeting of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) also suggested that obsolete zoning regulations in many cities may hold back the development of walkable urban areas – and America’s economic growth.

These trends and findings seem to promise a bright future for Portland, which has long been regarded as a model of urban planning and development. Residents, developers, investors, businesses and local officials have a common interest in honoring and extending the legacy of walkable urban neighborhoods here.

Portland architecture critic Brian Libby revisited that legacy in a recent posting on Leo Williams, former head of the Portland Planning Bureau and longtime member of the Historic Landmarks Commission. Williams received the University of Oregon’s annual George McMath Award for historic preservation last month.

Libby reminds us that iconic Portland places like Waterfront Park, the Central Library, the Pittock Mansion, Old Town and Skidmore either didn’t exist or were severely threatened when Williams began his career in the late 60’s.

He took a pragmatic and collaborative approach to making the city more livable, working with developers, elected officials and residents to preserve and adapt historic landmarks worth saving, and to encourage investments in dense planning, greenspace and mass transit.

Today Portland is “a city where people want to be,” says Libby, and a place where they can expect to prosper, according to the NAR. But we have to follow Williams’ example in finding common ground for common action.

Written by Catherine Quoyeser · Categorized: home values and prices, livability, urban planning and services · Tagged: home values and prices, livability, urban planning and services

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