Greater Portland

by Carl Abbott

"It has been called one of the nation's most livable regions, ranked among the best managed cities in America, and hailed a top spot to do business, enjoy the arts, pursue outdoor recreation, and make one's home. Indeed, years of cooperative urban planning between developers and those interested in ecology and habitability have transformed Portland from a provincial western city into an exemplary American metropolis. Its thriving downtown, its strong neighborhoods, and its pioneering efforts at local management have brought a steady procession of journalists, scholars, and civic leaders to investigate the "Portland style" that values dialogue and consensus, treats politics as a civic duty, and assumes that it is possible to work toward public good. Probing behind the press clippings, acclaimed urban historian Carl Abbott examines the character of contemporary Portland - its people, politics, and public life - and the region's history and geography in order to discover how Portland has