Portland, Oregon has been touted, not always by itself, as one of the most "livable" cities in the US. Set in a lush river valley, framed by the Coast Range and the Cascade Mountains, blessed with generally temperate Pacific maritime weather, and inhabited by what appears to be a very large number of progressive urban planners, Portland is a magnet for those drawn to such attractions. However, Portland is pricing much of its populace out of the housing market, it often has the highest unemployment in the nation, and its people have just voted in a measure that could stop its style of land use planning in its tracks. Ozawa (urban studies and planning, Portland State U.) and her contributors (many of whom, such as Carl Abbot and Chet Orloff, live in Portland) examine how well the promises of the last generation's experimental approach to development and government have actually worked. They report on the effect planning has had on the economy, local government, and Portland's downtown. This is a good baseline for comparison in the coming years with new policies on planning coming into operation. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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