South Park Blocks Master Plan

The 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 to the Portland Art Museum, Portland’5 Center for the Arts (a group of five theaters), and the Oregon Historical Society. It hosts vibrant community events and programs and acts as a front yard for residents, students, cultural institutions, and businesses in the area.

MIG led master planning and design services, including cultural landscape preservation planning and design as well as bicycle and pedestrian planning and design, and urban forestry analysis. The latter informed development of a tree succession strategy for the park, which strives to protect and maintain its characteristic tree canopy.

Challenges and opportunities for the Master Plan stemmed 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, defining the park’s design evolution to inform future plans, and facilitating discussions among the park’s numerous and diverse stakeholders. The Master Plan also incorporates design for 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.

The South Park Blocks Master Plan is winner of a 2022 Oregon Recreation & Parks Association Planning Award in recognition of outstanding planning practices and processes.