Chris brings to this Metro Council race decades of leadership, working with government agencies and community organizations to stick up for climate-smart communities and affordable housing. We put his full civic resume on the on his biography page (it’s quite long!) but we wanted to pull out ten specific highlights.
1 Helped Reform Portland’s Housing Policies
As a thought leader on the Planning and Sustainability Commission (PSC), Chris helped create opportunities for more housing supply and more affordable housing with the Inclusionary Housing (IH/IZ), Better Housing by Design (BHD) and Residential Infill (RIP) projects. Siting of shelters has also been made simpler and churches can now add housing to their properties more easily.
2 Kept a Propane Terminal off the Columbia River
Chris led the opposition on the PSC to siting a propane terminal on Port of Portland property (originally supported by the Mayor). By the time the debate was over, the Mayor would refuse to put the issue on the City Council agenda. This led to further City of Portland prohibitions on new fossil fuel facilities.
3 Opposed Rose Quarter and CRC Freeways
As a blogger, Chris chronicled and then opposed the proposal for the twelve-lane Columbia River Crossing. In 2012 he became the first public official to vote against the harmful freeway expansion at the Rose Quarter and later convened the “No More Freeways” opposition campaign.
4 Protected West Hayden Island
When the Port of Portland wanted to develop 800 acres of habitat on West Hayden Island as a marine terminal, Chris insisted that a Health Impact Assessment be completed before considering the proposal. The result was an accurate price tag to protect human and environmental health, and new thinking from the Port.
5 Advanced Walking and Biking
Chris has consistently supported making walking and biking easier in Portland, supporting the key Comprehensive Plan policy that prioritizes walking, biking and transit ahead of automobiles.
He served on the steering committee for the last Bicycle Master Plan update and recently completed a five-year effort to overhaul zoning for bicycle parking in new development. He is a past winner of Oregon Walks’ Weston Award.
6 Made Streetcars Serve the Community
As a board member of Portland Streetcar Chris has used that platform to make sure Streetcar development serves the City’s goals, helping create sustainable housing in Portland’s Central City and nearby neighborhoods. 39% of Portland’s affordable housing is within a quarter mile of a Streetcar line.
7 Championed Campaign Finance Reform
Chris chaired the City Club ballot measure study committee for 2000’s Measure 6, one of the first proposals for public campaign finance in the state. This became the foundation for the Club’s support of Portland’s Voter Owned Elections system.
As a member of City Club’s Board of Governors, Chris chaired the Advocacy Board and institutionalized the Club’s advocacy process.
8 Implemented Vision Zero
Chris leveraged the Planning and Sustainability Commission’s role as the recommending body for garbage and recycling rates to push for mandatory side guards on all solid waste trucks regulated by the City. These side guards prevent a vulnerable road user from being fatally swept under the rear wheels in a collision. The fleet will be fully updated by 2025. (image courtesy BikePortland)
9 Tracked Your Bus
Chris was one of the first software developers to make use of TriMet’s real time tracking. Today, one of his side projects is a non-profit that has installed transit arrival screens in more than 60 office lobbies, cafes, hotels and affordable housing buildings, with 20 more targeted for East Portland this year through a grant with Metro.
10 Empowered Youth
Chris advocated for a Youth Commissioner position on the Planning and Sustainability Commission – someone who would actually live through the entire timeline of plans being created. Six years later, three amazing young people have served and proved invaluable to Commission decisions. (photo courtesy Multnomah Youth Commission)