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Portland planners are hosting a series of community walks to gather input for the effort to create new mixed-use zoning designations.

The walks, part of the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability‘s , began last month and continue into June. Upcoming event locations include Southeast, Southwest and North Portland neighborhoods.

City planners will walk commercial corridors with community members, pointing out areas of interest and asking questions, said Barry Manning, a senior planner and project manager with BPS. The goal, he said, is to find out what is working or not working with new development in different parts of the city, and figure out ways to improve zoning regulations.

“The walks are a way for us to go out and look at what’s happening on the ground in neighborhoods,” Manning said. “We’re trying to engage the community.”

The Mixed Use Zones Project stems from efforts to update the city’s comprehensive plan and encourage development of mixed-use centers that create more walkable urban neighborhoods. Currently, the city uses commercial and central employment zones that were created in the 1990s, when car-centric developments and lower-density commercial projects were more common.

Upcoming walks are scheduled for:

• Southeast Division Street near Southeast 122nd Avenue: May 10 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., starting at 2536 S.E. 122nd Ave.

• Southeast 82nd Avenue near Division Street: May 14 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., starting at Portland Community College Southeast Center, 2305 S.E. 82nd Ave.

• North Lombard Street near Portsmouth Avenue: May 22 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., starting at 7508 N. Hereford Ave.

• North Williams Avenue/Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard near Fremont Street: May 29 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., starting at the corner of North Williams Avenue and Fremont Street

• Southeast Division Street near Southeast 30th Avenue: June 4 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., starting at Piccolo Park on Southeast 28th Avenue

• Southwest Multnomah Boulevard: June 11 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., starting at the Multnomah Arts Center, 7688 S.W. Capitol Highway