DESIGN + PLANNING TOOLS FOR GROWING COMMUNITIES

Hawthorne Embraces Kiosk Culture

SE Examiner | Article by Nancy Tanler, September 29, 2023

PARK(ing) Day is an annual worldwide event where citizens, artists and activists collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spaces into public places. PDX Main Streets partnered with Hawthorne Blvd. Business Association (HBBA) and Sustainable Southeast Community Coalition (S2C2) to make this event happen. The festivities of the day were a glimpse of the vision for what a plaza in the heart of the Hawthorne district might look like. It was also an opportunity for PDX Main Streets to engage the community to provide input on how the $46,000 Venture Portland grant, secured for the HBBA can be used to install a Neri vintage-style kiosk and solar incubator somewhere on Hawthorne along SE’s most iconic Main Street. 

Urbanism – Architecture’s ‘language’ can span decades

Concordia News | Article by Garlynn Woodsong, June 1, 2021 

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Regardless of style, the buildings from the streetcar-era all speak the same design language. Just like with a spoken language, a design language has a certain structure and defining elements that allow for design conversations between different elements of the built environment. The results are mutual design understanding. For instance, the main street buildings of the streetcar era all have certain characteristics in common. These characteristics form the timeless approach to add distinct individual characteristics affordably. They also:

• Increase pedestrian interest in the public realm through the use of building texture

• Enhance the joy factor of the community experience of the built environment through the beauty and craft of each building as expressed in simple ways

• Provide opportunities to highlight local cultural representations and reflections of the surrounding community

For a Main Street Minute and quick overview of some of these patterns, you can watch the Main Street Patterns video, here: tinyurl.com/mainstpatterns.