Is there even one?

The opening band at the City Repair event last Saturday was Sneakin’ Out. I think the last time I was so impressed with the performance of a band I hadn’t previously heard of, was when I saw Tubeway Army warming up for The Adverts, some thirty years ago. I’m not sure if any of the three members of Sneakin’ Out will go on to fame and fortune like Gary Numan did from Tubeway Army, but I hope they all do. More people should have the opportunity to hear the Rolling Stones’ “Painted Black” perfectly blended with Beethoven’s Fifth Overture, and the Beatles’ Eleanor Rigby (hillbilly mandolin version, funny enough by itself) woven into “Dazed and Confused” by Led Zeppelin. And an awesome rendition of Highway Star on mandolin. An unforgettable experience which had me smiling broadly the entire time they were playing. My sweet spouse leaned over and said, “We should have them at the Victory Party next time”. Sweet because I haven’t yet decided when I’m going to run again, and already he’s planning the victory celebration. And sweet because he voiced what I was thinking, that Sneakin’ Out would be excellent fun at any party.

So what does this have to do with the title of this post? Nothing, actually. That is a quote from the talk given later in the evening by Mark Lakeman, co-founder and Executive Director of City Repair. He spoke of the travesty of city surveyors drawing lots and streets in grids thoughout the Americas, covering the circular settlement patterns of ancient indigenous peoples. He showed slides of gathering places in Mediterranean Europe – of some of the great plazas and piazzas, and of smaller commons, where “grandmothers gather their granddaughters on their knees and tell them the stories of old”. He questioned where “the great gathering places of Portland” are. And asked, “Is there even one?” That got me thinking. I can’t name a place outdoors in Portland’s neighborhoods, where citizens routinely gather to talk, sit, relax, socialize. Not a recognized community space with commercial amenities like restaurants, coffee bars, places to sit, like Saint Mark’s Piazza in Venice or Rome’s fountain courtyards. Are there any? Pioneer Courthouse Square, downtown in the center, like St. Mark’s …. but you wouldn’t just go there to hang out in the hope of seeing someone you knew, right? You might meet there by arrangement, but the only places to sit, and tables, are the private spaces of Starbucks, or the linear walls. The chess boards, maybe. It’s a great space, that is wonderful and might be even better.

But what about outside of downtown? Are there any great outdoor gathering spaces in Portland’s neighborhoods? If you were to say, “meet me there“, outdoors, in your neighborhood, is there a there, there?

Our parks provide the function, in some cases and at some times of the year. Especially if there’s a focal point/space/event in the park. I often see people I know when I visit the SW Community Center and/or Gabriel Park, until this summer the nearest improved park to my home. Later this year, the Holly Farm Park will be finished and opened. I’m happy its design incorporates many circles, rather than conforming to its outer rectangle on the grid system. And it’s on a main street, near the schools, library, mosques, and commercial areas. Maybe the Holly Farm Park will become the great gathering space of the West Portland neighborhoods.

And perhaps it’s not fair to compare Portland and its lack of outdoor community gathering spaces with Mediterranean Europe. There aren’t many great outdoor places in Britain, either. Outdoor markets like Portland’s Saturday Market, yes. Parks and ornamental gardens, too. But mostly, gathering places there are private, indoor operations opened to the public. The pubs, the cricket clubs, the church halls. Those places, like coffee houses, restaurants, clubs, and community centers here, are more suited to British/Oregon weather.

Still, City Repair’s concept of Intersection Repair and innovative reinvention of streetscapes leading to restored connections between people in neighborhoods is exciting and useful. See the 2003 Photo Album for some examples. We aren’t all going to connect in the same way, though the same projects. City Repair’s many, varied activities, and their aim to improve community in every neighborhood in Portland, provides opportunities for people who might not relate so much to Neighborhood Association (NA) meetings (although many City Repair projects are organized by and supplied with volunteers from NAs). They focus on visual, practical improvements that bring people together in the planning, implementation, afterwards, or all three. And as Mark said, you may or may not like the aesthetics of the product. That’s not the point. The point is that people join together to design and create them. Check out the plans for this year’s Village Building Convergence, and find a project near your home where you can join in. So that if someone asks, “Is there even one?”, regarding gathering spaces in your neighborhood, the answer can be, “Why yes, we created one, please come join us and visit there.”