Making a Neighborhood a Home!

We are “placemaking” here in the Lents neighborhood of Portland!  There is a footbridge that connects the two sides of the I-205 highway via a multi-use path.  It’s a bare space, sometimes graffitied, often trash-strewn, but a functional thoroughfare for kids going to school, families going to the park, and so many others.  I walk over the bridge four times a day taking my first-grader to school and inevitably fall into step with the other children, abuelas, dads and mamas doing the same thing.  We want to make our bridge into a vibrant community space and we are starting this year with a simple project:  painting the west side access stairs.

Each step will be designed by a member of the community and we will all come together to paint the panels on June 10 during City Repair’s Village Building Convergence, a city-wide placemaking festival.

Funds raised will cover paint, permitting, and supplies.  Please give what you can to our little project that will put such a spring in our steps!!  (Dang—that was good!)

Any amount raised over what we need for the steps will be rolled into the next phase of the bridge project:  a collaborative tile installation on the east-side steps.  We’re getting the Lent K-8 school art program involved!