Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Infrastructure

Government

The city of Portland is governed by a mayor, four city commissioners and an auditor, who are each elected city-wide to serve four-year terms. The city council consists of the mayor (Tom Potter as of 2005) and commissioners. The auditor does not have a vote on the city council or direct city operations, but provides checks and balances in the commission form of government and accountability for the use of public resources. In addition, the auditor gives access to information for all Council members and the public and issues reports on various matters of city government.

Related Topics:
Mayor - City council - Tom Potter

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Portland and its surrounding metropolitan area are also served the Metropolitan Service District, the nation's only directly-elected regional government. Metro's charter includes land use and transportation planning, solid waste management, and map development. It also owns and operates the Oregon Convention Center, Oregon Zoo, Portland Center for Performing Arts, and Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center.

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Education

The public schools in the city are governed by the Portland Public School District, which consists of about 100 public schools with grades K through 12, as well as 50 special needs sites. The number of students in the school district is approximately 53,000. Portland's Lincoln High School is notable as it is the oldest public high school west of the Mississippi River, built in 1869. The school also boasts several famous alumni, including Singer-songwriter Elliott Smith, Matt Groening (creator of The Simpsons) and astronaut S. David Griggs. Another notable school is Benson Polytechnic High founded by Simon Benson. It claims to be ?The Nation?s Finest Professional/Technical School.?

Related Topics:
Lincoln High School - Mississippi River - 1869 - Singer-songwriter - Elliott Smith - Matt Groening - The Simpsons - Astronaut - S. David Griggs - Simon Benson

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Outlying areas of Portland retained their own school districts after those regions have been annexed by the City of Portland. Parkrose School District covers most of northeastern Portland beyond the I-205. Centennial and David Douglas districts serve far southeast neighborhoods, including Rockwood and Powellhurst. Parts of Portland neighborhoods in the West Hills belong to the Beaverton School District. Riverdale School District also serves the metropolitan area.

Related Topics:
I-205 - Beaverton School District

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The region also has several private schools, including Catlin Gabel School, Central Catholic High School, Jesuit High School, The Northwest Academy, Oregon Episcopal School, and St. Mary's Academy.

Related Topics:
Catlin Gabel School - Oregon Episcopal School

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There are also several colleges and universities in the area. One of the major public institutions in the city is Portland State University, with an enrollment of approximately 24,000 (graduate & undergraduate). Private colleges include the University of Portland, Pacific University, Concordia University, Marylhurst University, Lewis & Clark College, George Fox University, Linfield College, Reed College, Cascade College, Capstone College, and Warner Pacific College.

Related Topics:
Portland State University - University of Portland - Pacific University - Concordia University - Marylhurst University - Lewis & Clark College - George Fox University - Linfield College - Reed College - Cascade College - Capstone College - Warner Pacific College

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Oregon Health & Science University is the major medical school in the area. Other schools concentrating on various areas of the medical sciences include the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, and Western States Chiropractic College. Art schools in Portland include the Art Institute of Portland and Pacific Northwest College of Art.

Related Topics:
Oregon Health & Science University - Oregon College of Oriental Medicine - National College of Naturopathic Medicine - Western States Chiropractic College - Art Institute of Portland - Pacific Northwest College of Art

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The Concorde Career Institute and Multnomah Bible College are also located in the city, as well as the Oregon National Primate Research Center, a major research center involving the study of primates.

Related Topics:
Concorde Career Institute - Multnomah Bible College - Oregon National Primate Research Center - Primates

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Portland has two community college districts. The Portland Community College district has three campuses in the city - Cascade, Rock Creek, and Sylvania - as well as the Southeast Center and Metropolitan Workforce Training Center. The Mount Hood Community College district is east of I-205 in Gresham. Clark College is also located in the area.

Related Topics:
Community college - Portland Community College - Mount Hood Community College - I-205 - Gresham - Clark College

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Transportation

The Portland metropolitan area has the typical transportation services common to major U.S. cities, though Oregon's emphasis on proactive land-use planning and transit-oriented development within the urban growth boundary means that commuters have multiple well-developed options.

Related Topics:
Land-use planning - Transit-oriented development - Urban growth boundary - Commuters

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In fact, Portland is well-known for its comprehensive public transportation system. TriMet operates most of the region's buses and the Metropolitan Area Express, or MAX, light rail system, which connects the city and suburbs. A bus mall is downtown.

Related Topics:
Public transportation - TriMet - Metropolitan Area Express - Light rail

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Streets are arranged in a traditional grid-like pattern, with a few diagonal streets connecting various sections of the city and suburbs, and numerous bridges across the Willamette and Columbia rivers.

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I-5 connects Portland to Sacramento, California in the south and Seattle, Washington in the north. I-405 forms a loop with I-5 around the central downtown area of the city and I-205 is a beltway on the east side which connects to the airport. US 26 supports commuting within the metro area and continues to the Pacific Ocean westward and Mount Hood eastward. US 30 travels to the east of the city, through Gresham, Oregon and eastern suburbs, and connects to I-84, travelling towards Boise, Idaho.

Related Topics:
I-5 - Sacramento, California - Seattle, Washington - I-405 - I-205 - Beltway - US 26 - Pacific Ocean - Mount Hood - US 30 - East - Gresham, Oregon - I-84 - Boise, Idaho

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Portland's main airport is Portland International Airport, located twenty minutes by car or light rail northeast of downtown.

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Portlanders have other transportation alternatives. The Portland Streetcar operates from the southern waterfront, through Portland State University north to nearby homes and shopping districts. The city is particularly supportive of urban bicycling and has been recognized by the League of American Bicyclists among others for its network of paths and other bicycle-friendly services. Car sharing through Flexcar is also available to residents of downtown and nearby neighborhoods.

Related Topics:
Portland Streetcar - Urban bicycling - League of American Bicyclists - Car sharing - Flexcar

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