By Kepper Petzing | Contributing Writer
What is a Public Street Plaza?
In response to Covid, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) allowed businesses to close off certain streets to create spaces for outdoor dining. As of late, PBOT has been transitioning some of these spaces into public street plazas where people can sit and read, friends and neighbors can gather, and communities can host events. Plazas help build community, increase pedestrian traffic near local shops, and make space for public events.
Concordia has its very own public street plaza at NE 30th and Killingsworth. Learn more about other plazas in town here.
Name the Plaza
Our plaza needs a name. You can enter the “Name Our Plaza” contest.
Design the Street Painting
After naming the plaza, keep your eyes open for our upcoming “Design the Street Painting” contest, as a mural will be painted on the street sometime between late May and mid-June. Help design the mural and the overall look of the plaza and suggest events we can hold there. The contest begins on March 15th.
Join Activities in the Plaza
The Concordia Neighborhood Association is working to plan two events each month at the plaza, beginning in March. Check the CNA website at ConcordiaPDX. org and find us on Facebook and Instagram to find out what is happening at the plaza. We hope to see you there.
Host Your Own Event at the Plaza
Think the Plaza is the perfect place for your knitting circle, book exchange, dance party, or doggy fashion show? PBOT makes it easy for you to put on free public events here in your neighborhood. Find out more information and fill out the application here.
Get Involved
The Concordia Neighborhood Association has a “Friends of the Plaza” committee focused on bringing community input to this space. If you have suggestions for plaza design or activities, or if you want to join our committee, contact Megan Gobble, CNA Board Member at SW2@ConcordiaPDX.org.
Kepper Petzing has lived in Concordia for 42 years. They are nonbinary. They love community and the public spaces where we can be together.