South Park Blocks Master Plan

South Park Blocks is one of Portland’s oldest and most popular parks. The 12-block greenspace stretches through the heart of downtown Portland from the campus of Portland State University and the year-round farmer’s market in the southern blocks, up to the Portland Art Museum, Portland’5 Center for the Arts (a group of 5 theaters), and the Oregon Historical Society in the northern blocks. It hosts vibrant community events and programs and acts as a front yard for residents and businesses in the area.

MIG led master planning and design services, offering cultural landscape preservation, planning and design, bicycle and pedestrian planning and design, and urban forestry analysis and management.

Major challenges for the Master the many site constraints stemming from the South Park Blocks’ historic presence in downtown. These included the character-defining canopy of American elm trees approaching the end of their life cycles, protecting the park’s historic and cultural resources, addressing climate change impacts, developing a better understanding of the site’s design evolution to be used to inform future plans, and facilitating discussions among the park’s numerous, diverse stakeholders. The Master Plan also incorporates access to the Green Loop, a six-mile linear park that will connect people through the heart of the City, linking regional attractions, cultural institutions, employment centers and shopping districts. The Portland City Council unanimously approved the Master Plan.

Winner of a 2022 Oregon Recreation & Parks Association Planning Award in recognition of outstanding planning practices and processes