Project Name: Southwest Montgomery Green Street

Architect/s: Kevin Robert Perry (NNA Landscape Architecture)

Award: 2012 National ASLA Professional Award of Honor within the Analysis and Planning category

Project Location: SW 11th Avenue to SW 2nd Avenue, SW Montgomery Green Street

Background

Project Statement:

The Montgomery Green Street Blocks initiative in Portland is a collaborative effort involving the
Portland Development Commission (PDC), Bureau of Environmental Services (BES), Portland State
University (PSU), and Gerding Edlen Development, Inc. The plan focuses on integrating sustainable
stormwater management strategies in the emerging neighborhood at the south end of Portland’s
downtown, specifically along SW Montgomery Street. This area, spanning from SW 11th Avenue to
Pettygrove Park, is part of the Central City University District Plan, aiming to harmonize university uses
with city goals. The project aims to enhance the pedestrian experience, foster sustainability, and activate
the neighborhood by strategically developing multi-blocks along SW Montgomery Street.

Key Project Milestones

1988 The Portland Central City Plan identified SW Montgomery Street as a pedestrian
walkway, calling for improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists, including
improvements in paving, street trees, street furniture, street crossing signalization,
sidewalk widening, and street closure, where appropriate.

Jan 2006 PDC, City of Portland, PSU, and Gerding Edlen Development hold an initial design
workshop that sets the project’s larger themes and identifies SW Montgomery Street as a
significant downtown green street project.

April 2007 City Council approved a resolution in April 2007 to promote and incorporate the use of
green street facilities in public and private development.

June 2008 The project selects Nevue Ngan Associates (NNA) design team to develop the SW
Montgomery Green Street Conceptual Design.

Nov 2008 PDC, City of Portland, PSU, and Gerding Edlen Development hold the second design
workshop and public open house. The NNA design team introduces the first corridor-
wide design options.

April 2009 The Oregon Sustainability Center (OSC) begins an intensive design process including
integration of the SW Montgomery Green Street right-of-way improvements with the
proposed OSC project site.

August 2009 The SW Montgomery Green Street Conceptual Plan is completed including the Design
Development Drawings for the block between SW 4th and SW 5th Avenue (OSC site).

Sept 2009 The first of nine blocks of the SW Montgomery Green Street is built at the plaza space
between Smith Memorial Student Union and Cramer Hall on the Portland State
University campus.
Figure. Project Site Context of the Southwest Montgomery Green Street
Source: Google Earth
 Figure: Conceptual Site Plan by Nevue Ngan Associates

Case Evaluation

Element: Water

Figure: A water channel meanders through a downtown street in Aspen, Colorado (left), and bold
example of a stormwater channel in Europe. (right)
 Figure:

The concept of a green street challenges traditional perspectives on urban design, envisioning
streets as multifunctional spaces beyond just accommodating automobiles. The SW Montgomery Green
Street redefines street use by providing areas for gathering, outdoor business expansion, wildlife habitat,
event flexibility, urban forest cultivation, and stormwater capture. In the rainy climate of Portland, the
focus on stormwater treatment is particularly crucial, with a significant portion of the SW Montgomery
corridor dedicated to this purpose. The project draws inspiration from diverse precedents worldwide,
integrating functional urban rain gardens that go beyond utilitarian functions to serve as placemaking
amenities. Stormwater facilities will incorporate seating, bridges, verdant planting, and artistic use of
materials to enhance the street's aesthetic appeal and celebrate water in alignment with site opportunities
along SW Montgomery.

Key issues identified:

Cross sections. The street cross section presented proposes significant changes to existing
conditions. Stormwater features factor prominently in the cross sections. Also, the proposed curbless
street with wider pedestrian space may require the removal/relocation of trees, street lights, etc. More
detailed design and engineering analysis is needed as project design advances.

Proposed Solutions

General Project Goals

The Montgomery Green Street Blocks project in Portland seeks to enhance the city's reputation as
a collaborative incubator for innovative sustainable design and development. It aims to develop a
sustainable model by integrating stormwater management strategies, promoting connectivity to various
amenities, jobs, and transportation options, and serving as an environmental research opportunity for
PSU, expanding the success of Urban Center Plaza, and establishing SW Montgomery Green Street as a
connector to an eco-district while exploring the impact of an eco-district designation on circulation
connections.

Figure: An well-designed example of a stormwater planter within Portland’s South

Waterfront District (Designed by Walker Macy).

Specific Green Design Goals

The Montgomery Green Street Blocks project in Portland proposes the creation of wider
sidewalks and "curbless" street conditions for ground floor retail areas, promoting active retail with one
lane of traffic and parking, adaptable for pedestrian-only events. A visually continuous landscaped
stormwater planter is envisioned as a "stormwater spine," connecting multiple blocks and establishing a
green east/west connection through downtown and the PSU district. The plan also involves integrating
right-of-way green street design with adjacent developments, exploring shared stormwater planters,
incorporating green roof awnings and walls in new building development, and preserving the distinctive
character of key locations like the South Park Blocks, Urban Center Plaza, and Pettygrove Park.
 Figure:

Conclusion

The Southwest Montgomery Green Street Plan in Portland envisions Montgomery Street as a
vital link to a broader Eco-District, encompassing retrofits of surrounding right-of-ways and buildings
with green infrastructure such as shared stormwater planters, green streets, and rooftop systems. The
successful completion of two blocks has set a precedent, with two additional blocks, including the
proposed Oregon Sustainability Center, targeted for construction within the next two years. This plan
serves as a remarkable demonstration of how, even in dense urban environments, downtown streets can
be purposefully planned and retrofitted. Beyond managing stormwater runoff, the project aims to actively
contribute to the creation, integration, and preservation of vibrant pedestrian spaces, showcasing a
sustainable and innovative approach to urban development.