Oregon Public Broadcasting’s “Think Out Loud” radio program discusses the Willamette Falls Riverwalk which will be designed by the Mayer/Reed-led team that includes Snøhetta and DIALOG. The interview which aired June 3, features Carol Mayer-Reed and Michelle Delk of Snøhetta.
A Look at Street Food and Urban Vitality
Carol Mayer-Reed examines Portland’s lively food cart culture and its relationship to urban vitality in “Portland’s Street Food Phenomenon,” published in the May issue of ASLA’s blog, The Dirt. 
“The carts, which also form food cart pods, make a positive, colorful contribution to the city’s sense of livability, promote social interaction, and support small businesses. After all, the presence of people gathering in places attracts more people.”
Light Rail, Art and Beer
Cast earth, twisted rail, stone and water. Let’s talk about public art along the new Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail line: All of the pieces going in are amazing – some inspiring delight and wonder, others providing pause for contemplation. That’s how art should be.
As we’ve designed public spaces along the line, Mayer/Reed has worked to integrate several art pieces into the design, adding a unique flavor to each station. You’ll get a chance to learn about the art along the entire alignment and hear from a few of the artists on April 17 at TriMet’s TriMet’s Transit On Tap, their series of free public talks held at brewpubs. Sponsored by Mayer/Reed, this event will be at Ford Food and Drink. See you there!
Women Acting Sustainably: A Presentation
7 women. 7 minutes. 21 slides. On March 11, AIA ForWARD hosted Fast Forward, a night of Pecha Kucha style presentations on the theme, “Women Acting Sustainably.” My presentation, “Sustaining the Human Race Through Physical Activity” focused on inspiring people to see themselves as resources worthy of investment—active bodies lead to productive adults that, in turn, can fuel our economy and protect our environment.
I challenged the Portland design community attendees to consider ways to fold physical activity into the way we conduct business and in the spaces we design. I discussed our recent projects, the Outdoor Adventure at the Portland Children’s Museum, a fitness circuit course, and the Darlene Hooley Pedestrian Bridge as examples of spaces designed for movement. The Mayer/Reed designers behind these projects are committed to living physically active lives. We encouraged the audience to have a little fun, stand up and push the boundaries of social norms by participating in a set of exercises during the presentation.
At the close of all 7 presentations, I was intrigued that many of the speakers focused on the social side of sustainability rather than on green building techniques. It made me proud to belong to a community in which environmentally sustainable design is already considered best practice and we can push ourselves to consider even more.