Transportation
The Future of Portland Transit Hangs in the Balance
The Oregonian podcast Beat Check recently shared an episode titled "A Perilous Moment for Portland Mass Transit" in
Hey, I'm Bryan.
I’m a professional planner and urban designer exploring how places take shape and how we find meaning in them. I hold a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and have worked in long-range planning, campus planning, and community development for nearly twenty years.
I photograph cities, civic spaces, and landscapes in search of beauty and connection. I write to learn, grow, and make sense of both myself and the world. This site is an experiment and a work in progress. It touches both the professional and the personal. However, views expressed are my own.
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Blog
Housing
Portland Auditor Releases Progress Report for Residential Infill Project
In 2017, after about a decade in the affordable housing and community development industry, my career took a turn and
Urbanism
The Myth of the Walkable Corner Store
For decades, planners have envisioned small, pedestrian-friendly commercial hubs within residential neighborhoods. A local café, a small grocery store, or
Urbanism
Unraveling Urbanism: Housing, Advocacy, and the Battle for Better Cities
Land use planning has always faced scrutiny, but in recent years, the conversation has grown louder and more polarized. Social
Urbanism
Death and Life: Rereading Jane Jacobs and the Legacy of Good Intentions
I recently finished rereading Jane Jacobs’ The Death and Life of Great American Cities. It wasn’t my first encounter
Urbanism
Despite Our Best Intentions with Street Frontages
Automobiles are undeniably a significant part of American life. Consequently, accommodating them with roadways and parking lots has come to
Public Finance
The Coming War on Impact Fees
The Supreme Court ruled Friday that developers and home builders in California may challenge the fees commonly imposed by cities
My Library
Milan Kundera
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Interweaves story and dream, past and present, and philosophy and poetry in a sardonic and erotic tale of two couples--Tomas and Teresa, and Sabina and her Swiss lover, Gerhart.
John Massengale and Victor Dover
Street Design: The Secret to Great Cities and Towns
Written by two accomplished architects and urban designers, this user-friendly street design manual shows both how to design new streets and enhance existing ones.
Robert Caro
The Power Broker
Robert Caro’s The Power Broker traces how Robert Moses reshaped New York through unelected power—building bridges, highways, and parks that transformed the city while destroying neighborhoods. A Pulitzer-winning portrait of ambition, control, and the cost of progress.