A helpful message from Portland

New Mexico Business Journal, April, 1996 by Bob McCabe

What's portland got that Albuquerque ought to have? The phenomenal growth that the Albuquerque area has experienced over the past few years has motivated community leaders to find ways to preserve the unique quality of life that initially attracted business and individuals here. Issues such as air quality, land use and transportation are becoming increasingly important as our population continues to grow. Planning - both short-term and long-range - will play a key role in preventing urban sprawl. Because these issues do not end at city or county lines, controlling sprawl must begin with a regional focus on planning and decision-making.

Recently a delegation of Chamber of Commerce leaders and elected officials from Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, Rio Rancho, Bernalillo and the East Mountain area traveled to Portland to look at their regional approach to planning. This beautiful Oregon city has in place several items that Albuquerque might want to appropriate. They are:

* An integrated mass transit system Regional transportation in the metropolitan Portland area is provided by Tri-Met, a three-county, 15-mile light rail system. The system is responsible for reducing congestion, keeping the air clean and enhancing the quality of life for residents.

But the region didn't just throw a light rail system into the transportation plan; it looked at the whole picture of community and economic development and environmental quality. The number of downtown jobs has doubled since 1975, but the city has not had to add parking spaces, widen or build new roads. Instead Portland looked at the entire downtown area and built retail, office and housing developments. Forty percent of the downtown workers commute on the 600-plus fleet of buses.

Throughout our trip, it was apparent - from the planners who explained their strategies to our own observations - the light rail system is the impetus for regional land-use planning. Tri-Met opened in 1986 and since that time over $1 billion worth of private development has been completed or is under construction neighboring the light rail system. The system didn't come cheap, but it came with a lot of visionary planning. We need to provide a regional transportation system in the Albuquerque area that will ultimately include a light rail system. We can start by improving and promoting our current bus system. We need state legislative approval of the final funding segment for the proposed multi-modal transportation center to be constructed in downtown Albuquerque. Does the future vision of our city, include a car-dependent population and with it the problems with congestion and air quality? We need to discuss the value of diverting some of the funds proposed for projects like the Big I to establish a better multi-modal transportation system in our communities.

* A metropolitan planning body

The key to Portland's success is a regional approach. Called Metro, this elected regional government is responsible for the long-range planning of growth management, transportation and land-use for three counties, 24 municipalities and 1.2 million residents. It has a budget of $360 million and a staff of 780. Metro also manages the zoo, regional parks, arts center, convention center and stadium. One of the biggest advantages is that developers and residents know and understand the development regulations and zoning ordinances. The development companies like the program because it gives them predictability and with that comes an open and fair development process.

Local governments continue to have home rule. In the 1970s when this program was first established, state law required each of the municipalities to develop a comprehensive plan and set the boundaries for their community. Zoning for the areas was established as well as roads, and sewer and water lines.

The importance of a long-range plan and vision for our region is essential to improving our quality of life. This cannot happen without the involvement and commitment of the region's government, civic and business leaders, residents, as well as the state legislature and state officials.

* A culture of collaboration versus competition

The Portland region's Metro fosters collaboration and facilitates decision making. It allows for a healthy competition among municipalities by encouraging community identity through downtown development and mainstreet programs.

Clearly, the Portland plan would not have worked if the communities involved had not agreed that collaboration was the key. The typical growth pattern of America's larger cities is unbridled sprawl and not the development of distinct communities. That's not what we want for the future.

Our goal is to foster agreement among the public and private sector leaders in the Middle Rio Grande Valley that regional collaboration on transportation, land-use, and air and water quality is our key to solving these regional issues. No city, county, or other political subdivision should feel threatened by a regional approach. Instead, they should view collaboration as an opportunity to build economically sustainable communities.