On October 3, the community gathered to celebrate the grand reopening of Pride Plaza in downtown Portland. The plaza became a stage as drag queens and musicians performed, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden shared remarks and neighbors came together to honor the history and future of this beloved gathering place.

Our studio led the redesign of Pride Plaza. It was the first implementation of PBOT’s Street Plaza Design Toolkit, developed by Mayer/Reed to help transform streets into comfortable, inviting places for people to gather. Community feedback helped us answer the question: What does Pride look like here in Portland? Inspired by queer theory’s embrace of fluidity and nonconformity, we explored whimsically interrupting the linear nature of the existing street with a patterned and colorful “Pride ribbon” inspired by the Pride flag. The ribbon arranges social zones for gatherings, playful furnishings, accessible crossings and a bike hub and invites engagement by providing space for future layering of art, performance and activations.

Rooted in Portland’s LGBTQ+ history, the revitalized plaza looks to the future with new energy, color and opportunities.