A community greenway for downtown Portland
Reimagining the
Harvey Milk-Oak Street
corridor.
Building awareness and coordinating activities to increase foot traffic and livability along Harvey Milk and Oak Streets through green, pedestrian-oriented, climate-responsive improvements.
Proposed plaza - SW Harvey Milk St between 4th & 5th
The Problem
Downtown isn't what we envisioned it would be.
Portland's downtown core has lost the foot traffic, vibrancy, and ground-level activity that once defined it. Vacant storefronts, underused streets, and a fractured pedestrian experience are slowing economic recovery and discouraging investment.
The Harvey Milk-Oak Street corridor sits at the center of this problem - but it is also the most promising lever for change. It has the open fabric, the zoning, and the proximity to the waterfront needed to anchor a real recovery.
The Solution
A phased, pedestrian-first greenway to the waterfront.
People's Tributary is a coordinated, community-led effort to transform Harvey Milk and Oak Streets into active, biodiverse green pedestrian corridors that manage stormwater, reduce urban heat, support pollinators, and host neighborhood life.
We start this summer with a public plaza on Harvey Milk between 4th and 5th, adjacent to the Expensify Midtown Beer Garden - the first of many projects designed to connect welcoming places along the corridor and mark a vital pedestrian path to the Willamette.
2026 Summer Program
A modular, movable plaza - built for people.
Designed to flex from a quiet weekday street to a full event closure, the kit installs in days and adapts to how the neighborhood actually uses the space. It can easily move to different block faces throughout the year, activating the street connection.
Modular Planters
Fixed and mobile planters bring trees and pollinator-friendly plants to the street.
Seating & Tables
Nested benches, tables, and platform seating that reconfigure with the day.
Flexible Layouts
Partial closure on weekdays, full closure for events - always with emergency access.
Climate-Responsive
Manages stormwater, reduces urban heat, and supports biodiversity in the corridor.
The Opportunity
Where downtown's next economy takes shape.
The Harvey Milk-Oak Street corridor is the ideal destination for businesses and residents looking to co-create the future of downtown livability. Here, artificial intelligence, economic opportunity, and bold experimentation converge to anchor resilient, equitable outcomes for our community.
About Us
The people behind People's Tributary.
A volunteer coalition of architects, civic leaders, businesses, and public agencies coordinating the work along the corridor.
Core Group
-
Jeff KovelSkylab Architecture
-
Reiko IgarashiSkylab Architecture
-
Matt AllenExpensify
-
Charles KelleyGreen Urban Design
-
Art PearcePBOT
Partners
- Expensify
- Design Portland
- Skylab Architecture
- Green Urban Design
Help us seed downtown's next chapter.
We're inviting sponsors, partners, and community members to help launch the summer installation and shape the work that follows.
info@peoplestributary.org