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Before deciding to move from Kansas City to Portland in the late 1960s, architect Leo Williams studied which U.S. city had the best potential to become the country’s most livable urban environment.

He concluded Portland was that city.

鈥淧ortland was good because of the type of location it offered,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淭he mountains, you can drive there. You can drive to the ocean. Portland was ripe for things to change, and I just lucked out and hit the time right.鈥�

Williams started his career as an urban design architect in private practice, including a brief stint working for the late Portland modernist architect Walter Gordon. But it wasn’t until Gordon convinced him to pursue city planning that Williams found his true calling.

In 1968, he joined the city of Portland’s urban design staff, working as a planner for nearly 30 years before retiring in 1996. During that time, he served as the lead city staffer for the newly established Portland Historic Landmarks Commission. Williams was among a group of civic leaders who created, expanded and implemented the city’s historic preservation program. He’s also credited with helping reinstitute light rail in Portland as a means to revitalize the city’s urban core and its historic districts.

Williams’ longtime passion for historic presentation recently earned him recognition from the University of Oregon School of Architecture and Allied Arts. At a luncheon next week in Portland, he’ll be presented with the 2015 George McMath Historic Preservation Award. The annual award honors an individual who has raised awareness and advocacy for historic preservation in Oregon.

鈥淟eo was part of a real tectonic shift in how we look at our cities and how we consider our past,鈥� said John Southgate, who worked with Williams in Portland’s planning department. Southgate is among other former colleagues who nominated the retired city planner for the award named after the late Portland architect and historic preservation advocate George McMath.

聽COLLABORATING TO PRESERVE CITY’S HERITAGE

McMath was a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and the founding chairman of the Historic Landmarks Commission. When Williams was the lead city staffer to the commission, the pair became friends and worked closely on crafting policies aimed at saving historically significant buildings from demolition and encouraging their restoration.

In a reference letter touting Williams’ skills, dated Aug. 7, 1979, McMath wrote, 鈥淟eo’s background in architecture and urban planning, and his interest, understanding and commitment to historic preservation has been of immense value to the Landmarks Commission. His rare ability to synthesize historic preservation with the larger contexts of urban design and city planning has made preservation an integral part of the city’s overall planning process and has contributed greatly to Portland’s widely praised program.鈥�

Williams said he worked closely with McMath and other preservationists like the late Portland developer Bill Naito to encourage historic preservation. He helped implement the city’s landmark preservation ordinance, one of the first passed on the West Coast, and championed Oregon’s 1975 property tax abatement program for buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. He also oversaw the formation of Portland’s first two downtown historic districts: Skidmore-Old Town and Yamhill.

鈥淲e have over the years had a good track record of saving our historic structures and Leo had a lot to do with that,鈥� Southgate said. 鈥淟eo was really the pivotal guy in setting up this regulatory framework to make this happen to save these old buildings.鈥�

A ‘LOVE AFFAIR’ WITH PORTLAND

Along with his work with property owners and developers to restore aging buildings, Williams was dedicated to sharing the importance of historic preservation with Portlanders of all ages. To prove to the Portland City Council why the city should preserve its heritage, he created a 20-minute 鈥渋mage essay鈥� presentation using three projection screens, titled 鈥淗ow do we know it is us without our past?鈥�

鈥淎fter that, I started getting requests to give (the presentation) to different groups,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淓ventually, I ended up expanding to all members of the community鈥� I never got a bad review.鈥�

Once he replaced a voiceover with a selection of music to accompany the images, the presentation was a particularly big hit with schoolchildren. Williams was flooded with requests from teachers to visit their schools and he started receiving fan mail from students.

鈥淚 liked the film strips,鈥� one student wrote to Williams. 鈥淲hat I liked the most was what it looked like long ago and now.鈥�

鈥淲hen I’m older, I am going to make a movie just like that,鈥� another wrote.

Williams also promoted the revitalization of the oldest parts of Portland with a successful push for light rail to pass through downtown’s historic districts.

鈥淟eo Williams is an absolute pioneer for all the rail we see in Portland today,鈥� said Bill Failing, past president of the Oregon Historical Society and founding member of the Architectural Heritage Centerand Portland Streetcar boards. 鈥淭he idea of the romance of the rail, of transporting people inexpensively (and) giving them sort of a colorful way to enjoy the central city 鈥� I think Leo was very committed to that. And guess what, here we have today much the dream he was hoping for.鈥�

In 1990, Williams designed a t-shirt celebrating what makes Portland a great place to live. It included photos of the Pioneer Place Mall, the Willamette River, the White Stag sign and the Jackson Tower, among other Portland landmarks. 鈥淧ortland Oregon, it’s a love affair!鈥� the t-shirt’s text declared.

In a written explanation for the t-shirt design, Williams said his love for Portland had grown since he became a city planner in 1968.

鈥淪ince then I have participated with many others (public and private) in the renaissance of Portland,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淔or me, it has been one of the most rewarding and fulfilling endeavor of my professional career.鈥�