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The Willamette River should be restored to a prominent place in cultural life, and the Central Eastside should retain its heritage as a 鈥渕aker’s space,鈥� according to the latest update of the plan for central Portland.

The Central City 2035 Plan arrived this week 鈥� about a day late. In the weeks and months ahead, it should generate ample debate on aspects pertinent to the city’s urban core 鈥� like density, the Willamette River, landmarks, design and transportation.

Volume I of the plan was posted online shortly after business hours on Monday. It contains an introduction and a broad outline of goals. The four remaining volumes should be posted by Feb. 8, said Eden Dabbs, spokeswoman for the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability.

鈥淎 lot of work went into these,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o we’re posting what we have so far, to give people a taste of what’s out there.鈥�

The far-ranging visioning document is five years in the making. The public now has two months to comment before the plan heads to the Planning and Sustainability Commission. The City Council will hold hearings on the plan beginning Aug. 20.

The plan represents the first amendment to Portland’s Comprehensive Plan; revisions are ongoing. It replaces the 1988 Central City Plan, itself an update of the 1972 Downtown Plan. Prior to that, planners thought of Portland’s downtown as merely the city’s core. Today, it’s considered the downtown for an entire region, said Chet Orloff, co-chairman of the plan’s steering committee.

鈥淭his iteration of central city planning really takes the concept of the central city of Portland and expands it in ways that haven’t been done before,鈥� he said.

One of the advancements contained in the plan is reconfiguration of the city’s urban core into quadrants, to go along with the city’s five regions. This should help efforts to 鈥渇ine-tune鈥� planning design standards, and address housing needs on a neighborhood-specific basis.

鈥淧ortland has a legacy of pretty innovative planning,鈥� said Ethan Seltzer, a member of the steering committee and professor of urban studies at Portland State University. 鈥淲hat we’re doing now is taking the next step.鈥�

The plan’s points of emphasis include:

鈥� Restoring the Willamette River to a prominent place in cultural life in Portland 鈥� for instance, ensuring 鈥渇ishability and swimmability;鈥�

鈥� Enlarging the role of transit and 鈥渢ying鈥� the region’s various parts to the central city 鈥渉ub;鈥�

鈥� Preserving the Central Eastside’s industrial heritage;

鈥� Examining the role of several key institutions as centers of employment and educational activity 鈥� notably Portland State University and Oregon Health & Science University;

鈥� Expanding the role of health care as a regional institution; and

鈥� Establishing a six-mile 鈥�Green Loop鈥� for walking and biking.

With months of hearings ahead, considerable debate will surely take place. Two seats on the council will be up for grabs this election season. Also, Portland will get a new mayor, and traditionally the mayor oversees the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability.

鈥淥nce there’s a new mayor, it could dramatically change how we go about the Central City Plan,鈥� Orloff said. 鈥淲hat’s going to happen, I suspect, is things are going to slow down as we get into the election season 鈥� people being hesitant to make some pretty hard decisions about the next 15 to 20 years and how the city’s going to develop. People are going to put their hands up and say, 鈥楲et’s hold off until we get new members of the city council.’ 鈥�