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One of the most difficult problems planners face is how to directly address the public’s perceptions about planning issues, especially things that people face in their everyday lives like parking and congestion.

One of the most basic is the idea that we should just build more road capacity to take care of congestion. But this runs squarely into the problem of – when you build more capacity you provide an incentive to drive more. This means that we have to be very smart about how we use our limited transportation dollars (including more efficient streets, and not more capacity) and it’s one of the main reasons we need to create a full array of transportation options rather than rely on just one.

Parking may be an even bigger perception problem. Portland has experienced such a sudden explosion of higher-density mixed-use buildings where none existed before that neighbors, merchants and potential customers all feel there aren’t enough parking spaces. But the city’s studies (see PBOT/Plans) and actual experience tell us that there are enough spaces, just not always within a block of where you want to go. Our expectation is that we should always be able to find a space very close to our destination. But compare that to a shopping center, where you usually have to park the equivalent of several blocks away.

The bottom line is that Portlanders need to lower their expectations about how fast they should be able to get places. We no longer have the luxury of assuming wide-open streets and instantly available parking everywhere.  We need to slow down, consider our transportation options and make good choices about how to get around efficiently, and enjoy all the great urban features of today’s Portland.