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The Portland Development Commission on Wednesday hosted the first of two open houses to gain feedback on the first draft of an updated strategic plan.

The commission released a 鈥�50 percent draft鈥� of its 2015-20 plan, which has a stated goal of creating 鈥減rosperity among all Portlanders鈥� and five objectives to help it get there.

The PDC, over the next five years, will direct its efforts and investments toward fulfilling the objectives, which focus on increasing opportunities for traditionally underserved populations, such as low-income residents and minorities.

鈥淲e want people to recognize that, in regards to the economic recovery, it hasn’t been evenly felt across the city,鈥� PDC Executive Director Patrick Quinton said. 鈥淲e want to work to make that distribution more even, and we’re going to do that in ways that people don’t always associate with the work that PDC does.鈥�

The plan’s first three objectives are to increase citizens’ access to healthy, complete neighborhoods; create opportunities for high-quality employment; and increase opportunities for minorities and low-income residents to foster wealth creation.

鈥淧DC’s goal is to start working in areas of the city that haven’t experienced as much financial success and don’t have as much momentum as other parts,鈥� bureau spokesman Shawn Uhlman said. 鈥淚t would be easy to keep funding places like North Vancouver and Williams (avenues), but private investors are already out there. Let’s take what we have available and invest in the areas that need it most.鈥�

Quinton said one of the plan’s most important aspects is its fourth objective, which calls for PDC to form 鈥�21st century civic networks, institutions and partnerships鈥� with other agencies committed to helping underserved populations in Portland.

鈥淥ne thing that’s different about this plan is that we’ve established these objectives that are beyond the capacity of PDC alone to fulfill,鈥� said Justin Douglas, a PDC policy manager who worked on the plan. 鈥淏y building partnerships we can help address issues that are too big for PDC to address by itself.鈥�

Job creation is one of the outcome metrics that the PDC plans to use to measure its success during and after the five-year period. In fact, the PDC is shooting to create 13,000 middle-wage jobs 鈥� defined as providing a $42,000 annual salary and requiring no more than an associate’s degree 鈥� in Multnomah County by 2020.

鈥淲e want to focus on growing jobs that provide a living wage, and we want to do that by working with people already connected to the local economy,鈥� Quinton said. 鈥淎nd we want to create these jobs for people who may not be on a professional track or have a college degree.鈥�

Other metrics the steering committee outlined in the draft plan include reducing the number of people living in high-poverty neighborhoods by 50 percent without promoting displacement, increasing PDC’s workplace diversity by 30 percent and increasing the income of sole proprietors by 3 percent.

While the steering committee set quantifiable metrics for some of the outcome goals, there are still some questions it’s hoping that open house attendees can help answer. For example, by what percentage should the PDC aim to increase the number of small businesses in Multnomah County founded or owned by women or minorities by 2020?

鈥淓verything on that list, at this point, made the cut because it’s something we know we can measure,鈥� Quinton said. 鈥淭here will be benchmarks established and reviewed on an annual basis to determine how we are doing in moving toward our goals.鈥�

The unknowns are what the steering committee is looking to the public to help with through the open houses and an online forum.

鈥淭his will guide our priorities, our budget and our work for the next five years, so we want to make sure we get it right,鈥� Douglas said. 鈥淲e want feedback because the strategic plan is really the guiding policy document that will set the agency’s direction for the next five years.鈥�

The second open house is scheduled for March 4, from 6 to 8 p.m., at Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization‘s main office, at 10301 N.E. Glisan St.

People who would like to participate in dialogue online are invited to visit until March 13 to make comments.

Following the period for public comment, Douglas said the steering committee will consider and implement suggestions. It will then present the PDC with a 鈥�90 to 95 percent鈥� draft plan, Douglas said. The PDC commissioners are tentatively scheduled to consider a final draft on April 8.