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66-400: Pioneer Courthouse Square , also known as Portland's living room , is a public space occupying a full 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m) city block in the center of downtown Portland , Oregon , United States . Opened in 1984, the square is bounded by Southwest Morrison Street on the north, Southwest 6th Avenue on the east, Southwest Yamhill Street on the south, and Southwest Broadway on

132-937: A Postmodern pit. It is intended to be a citywide park. It needs big, empty spaces. If it's empty, then [Director Park] should be full." In 2004, the square was ranked as the world's fourth-best public park by Project for Public Spaces , bested only by two squares in Venice and one in Siena , Italy. Project for Public Spaces ranked it the third best public square in North America in 2005 after New York City's Rockefeller Plaza and New Orlean's Jackson Square . The American Planning Association designated Pioneer Courthouse Square as one of 10 Great Public Spaces in 2008. 45°31′08″N 122°40′45″W  /  45.51887°N 122.6793°W  / 45.51887; -122.6793 Public space Public space has also become something of

198-402: A Segway , etc. Public space, as a term and as a concept in design, is volatile. There is much conversation around what constitutes public space, what role it plays, and how design should approach and deal with it. Historically, public space in the west has been limited to town centres, plazas, church squares, i.e. nearly always engineered around a central monument, which informs the program of

264-544: A Somali-American student, was arrested after attempting to set off what he thought was a car bomb at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony. It turned out the bomb was inert and was part of an FBI sting operation . He was charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction . In October 2014, Mohamud was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison along with credit for time served since his arrest, as well as lifetime supervision upon his scheduled release in 2037. On Morrison and Yamhill streets (the north and south boundaries of

330-512: A shopping center may be declared a public place and may be open when the shops are closed. Similarly for halls, railway platforms and waiting rooms of public transport ; sometimes a travelling ticket is required. A public library is a public place. A rest stop or truck stop is a public space. For these "semi-public" spaces stricter rules may apply than outside, e.g. regarding dress code , trading , begging , advertising , photography , propaganda , riding rollerskates , skateboards ,

396-399: A closed structure to prevent transients from congregating. Former governor Tom McCall , then a television commentator, was indignant: "It would be a shock ... to learn that a few power brokers have decreed that the result of the nationwide design rivalry is meaningless..." The square's construction required $ 3 million for land acquisition and $ 4.3 million for the structures and amenities,

462-402: A completely inclusive 'space of democracy'." This sense of flux and change, informs how contemporary public art has evolved. Temporal art in public spaces has been a long established practice. But the presence of public art has become increasingly prevalent and important within our contemporary cities. Temporal public art is so important because of its ability to respond to, reflect, and explore

528-438: A heavy focus has been turned onto the city as needing to discover new and inspired ways to re-use, re-establish and re-invent the city, in step with an invigorated interest in rejuvenating our cities for a sustainable future. Contemporary design has become obsessed with the need to save the modern city from an industrialized, commercialized, urban pit of a death bed. In some cases, dance, music and other cultural events organised by

594-416: A large enough amount that Ivancie's opposition nearly doomed the project. Martin, together with other architects and volunteers, drew attention to the delays from the opposition by painting a stylized blueprint of the proposal on the site itself. But it took the formation of "Friends of Pioneer Square", a citizens' group led by city commissioners Charles Ray Jordan and Mike Lindberg , and $ 750,000 raised by

660-453: A large silver-colored orb, was installed in August 1988. At noon each day, the following day's weather is announced with a fanfare of trumpets, flashing lights, and a spray of mist. The orb opens to reveal one of the following: Light bulbs on the side of the machine are reminiscent of a mercury thermometer and light up progressively as the temperature increases. Dozens of events are held at

726-477: A private—that is, non-public—forum, the government can control one's speech to a much greater degree; for instance, protesting one's objection to medicare reform will not be tolerated in the gallery of the United States Senate. This is not to say that the government can control what one says in their own home or to others; it can only control government property in this way. The concept of

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792-512: A public forum is not limited to physical space or public property, for example, a newspaper might be considered a public forum, but see forum in the legal sense as the term has a specific meaning in United States law. Parks, malls, beaches, waiting rooms, etc., may be closed at night. As this does not exclude any specific group, it is generally not considered a restriction on public use. Entry to public parks cannot be restricted based upon

858-438: A studio there. In March 2009, KGW opened a high-definition news studio at the square, which it uses to broadcast its morning, noon and 7 p.m. newscasts. Regular broadcasts from the location began on March 17, 2009, with the 4:30 a.m. newscast. The space occupied by KGW is approximately 2,000 square feet (190 m) in area and underground, with a small window area near the square's 6th and Yamhill corner. The square costs

924-405: A theatrical component or 'space of appearance' that is central to the functioning of a democratic space. A privately owned public space , also known as a privately owned public open space (POPOS) , is a public space that is open to the public, but owned by a private entity, typically a commercial property developer . Conversion of publicly owned public spaces to privately owned public spaces

990-731: A touchstone for critical theory in relation to philosophy , urban geography , visual art , cultural studies , social studies and urban design . The term 'public space' is also often misconstrued to mean other things such as ' gathering place ', which is an element of the larger concept of social space. Public spaces have often been valued as democratic spaces of congregation and political participation, where groups can vocalize their rights. Commons are early examples of public space. Malls, regardless of private ownership percentage, are examples of 'public space' since no fees or paid tickets are required for entry. However, most indoor shopping malls and strip malls are private property and subject to

1056-467: A user's residence. In some cultures, there is no expectation of privacy in a public space, however civil inattention is a process whereby individuals are able to maintain their privacy within a crowd. Public space is commonly shared and created for open usage throughout the community, whereas private space is owned by individuals or corporations. The area is built for a range of various types of recreation and entertainment. Limitations are imposed in

1122-527: Is both efficient and engaging for its users. Space design is commonly employed in a variety of settings, including homes, offices, restaurants, and retail stores, to name a few. One of the primary goals of space design is to create an environment that promotes positive emotional responses in its occupants. Studies have shown that people have a natural inclination towards certain types of spaces, such as those with natural lighting, open layouts, and comfortable seating. Another important consideration in space design

1188-615: Is considered unmanageable by public agencies. Corporate sponsorship of public leisure areas is ubiquitous, giving open space to the public in exchange for higher air rights . This facilitates the construction of taller buildings with private parks. In one of the newer U.S. incarnations of the private-public partnership, the business improvement district (BID), private organizations are allowed to tax local businesses and retail establishments so that they might provide special private services such as policing and increased surveillance, trash removal, or street renovation, all of which once fell under

1254-547: Is in the African-American neighbourhood, Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles . Here, a parking lot has evolved into a scene of intense commercial and social activity. Locals gather here to meet and socialise, sell and consume goods. The example has been used to illustrate that the historical ideal of fixed public space around a monument is not viable for a contemporary diverse social range as "no single physical space can represent

1320-459: Is often referred to as the "third place" concept, which describes public locales of social interaction that provide psychological comfort and emotional support. Charles Ray Jordan Charles Ray Jordan (September 1, 1937 – April 4, 2014) was a Portland City Commissioner from 1974 until 1984. He was the first African-American city commissioner in Portland, Oregon , and

1386-489: Is referred to as the privatization of public space, and is a common result of urban redevelopment . Beginning roughly in the 1960s, the privatization of public space (especially in urban centers) has faced criticism from citizen groups such as the Open Spaces Society . Private-public partnerships have taken significant control of public parks and playgrounds through conservancy groups set up to manage what

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1452-415: Is the concept of flow, or the ease with which people can move through a space. This involves designing spaces that are intuitive and free from obstructions, allowing users to navigate them without feeling frustrated or disoriented. One crucial aspect of space design is the creation of a welcoming and inclusive environment that satisfies people's social and emotional needs outside of their home and work. This

1518-648: Is the namesake of the Charles Jordan Community Center . Jordan was born in 1937 in Longview, Texas . He graduated from Palm Springs High School in 1956 and received a basketball scholarship to Gonzaga University . Graduating in 1961, Jordan earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education, sociology, and philosophy and later attended graduate studies at both Loma Linda University and the University of Southern California . During

1584-574: The Oglethorpe Plan created a unique design in which a public square was created for every ward of forty residential lots and four civic or commercial lots. The design has been preserved in the Savannah historic district . Jürgen Habermas ' concept of the public sphere links its emergence with the development of democracy. A good example of this is the New Deal projects. The New Deal

1650-607: The 1960s, Jordan served in the parks and recreation department for the City of Palm Springs and became an assistant to the City Manager. In 1970, Jordan moved to Portland to help with the federal anti-poverty Model Cities Program . Members of Portland city council appointed Jordan to a seat vacated by commissioner Lloyd Anderson on the city council in March 1974. Mayor Neil Goldschmidt , who had announced his intent to appoint

1716-410: The United States the right of the people to engage in speech and assembly in public places may not be unreasonably restricted by the federal or state government. The government cannot usually limit one's speech beyond what is reasonable in a public space, which is considered to be a public forum (that is, screaming epithets at passers-by can be stopped; proselytizing one's religion probably cannot). In

1782-504: The city an estimated $ 1.2 million per year, mostly for security, cleanup, and events. One of the more recognized pieces of public art in Portland is Seward Johnson's Allow Me , commonly referred to as Umbrella Man . It is on the south side of the square, just above the amphitheater. Allow Me is a bronze statue of a man in a business suit holding an umbrella. Weather Machine , a 33-foot-tall (10 m) metal column topped with

1848-507: The city charter, to hire and fire the chief of police. Jordan held the post until 1981. In that year, two Portland police officers drew national attention for a racially motivated prank. The officers were fired under Jordan's watch. Then-mayor Frank Ivancie fired Baker and removed the Police Bureau from Jordan's portfolio. The move sparked a protest, led by Ron Herndon . The Portland Internal Investigations Auditing Committee (PIIAC)

1914-788: The city, and eventually convinced the store to sell the land to the city after its parking concerns were alleviated. By early 1980, a design competition was announced, seeking proposals for what was to become Pioneer Courthouse Square. Out of 162 submissions, five finalists were chosen, from firms based in New York City , Philadelphia , San Francisco / Los Angeles , Boston , and Portland. The Portland team, an interdisciplinary "group of rabble-raising architects, writers, and an artist" consisting of chief designer and architect Willard Martin, landscape architect Douglas Macy, sculptor Lee Kelly, sculptor, historian Terrence O’Donnell, graphic artist Robert Reynolds, and writer Spencer Gill, were chosen as

1980-448: The completion of Fox Tower , a skyscraper on the block immediately southwest of the square, caused controversy among citizens because it blocks sunlight from reaching the majority of the square during the afternoon and evening hours. In 2002, the organization controlling the square had plans to add a large ice skating rink for four months of the year, at a cost of $ 12 million. The Pioneer Square group and Project for Public Spaces thought

2046-465: The consciousness of the arbitrary nature of assigned cultural meanings and by the increasingly important role that consumption of goods and services plays in the formation of individual identity." Modern architectural critics have lamented on the 'narrative of loss' within the public sphere. That is, modern society has withdrawn from public life that used to inform city centres. Political and social needs, and forums for expression, can now be accessed from

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2112-410: The context which it inhabits. Patricia Phillips describes the "social desire for an art that is contemporary and timely, that responds to and reflects its temporal and circumstantial context." Public art is an arena for investigation, exploration and articulation of the dense and diverse public landscape. Public art asks its audience to re-imagine, re-experience, re-view and re-live. In the design field,

2178-456: The control of public funds. A broader meaning of public space or place includes also places where everybody can come if they pay, like a café , train , or movie theater . A shop is an example of what is intermediate between the two meanings: everybody can enter and look around without obligation to buy, but activities unrelated to the purpose of the shop are at the discretion of the proprietor. The halls and streets (including skyways ) in

2244-656: The eastern edge of the square in the 1970s, out of scrap salvaged from the Portland Hotel. For almost 20 years, commercial space at the square's south end was occupied by a branch of Powell's Books . Opened in September 1985, it was called Powell's Travel Store and was focused exclusively on travel-related literature and supplies. The store closed at the end of January 2005, and the space was then vacant for an extended period, until KGW-TV , Portland's NBC affiliate, began leasing it in early 2008, with plans to construct

2310-415: The entrance to a public information center and TriMet ticket office. The center of the square is arranged like an amphitheater , with a semicircle of approximately two dozen steps serving as seats when the square is used for musical performances or other events. Pioneer Courthouse Square was a designated non-smoking area as of January 1, 2007. The bricks used to pave the square were sold to raise funds for

2376-582: The exclusions that are part of public space, it can nonetheless be conceived of as a site where democracy becomes possible. Geographer Don Mitchell has written extensively on the topic of public space and its relation to democracy, employing Henri Lefebvre 's notion of the right to the city in articulating his argument. While democracy and public space do not entirely coincide, it is the potential of their intersection that becomes politically important. Other geographers like Gill Valentine have focused on performativity and visibility in public spaces, which brings

2442-446: The final two years of the term, and re-elected in 1976 and 1980. In 1977, shortly after appointing Bruce Baker Police Chief and after having informally offered the police bureau to Connie McCready , Goldschmidt assigned the police bureau to Jordan. Jordan expressed displeasure with his assignments, since Goldschmidt simultaneously removed two significant bureaus from his portfolio without warning, and also retained his own power, under

2508-500: The first Black member of City Council, ensured that there were enough votes to make the appointment in a way that commissioner Connie McCready alleged violated the intent of Oregon's open meeting laws. Jordan was the city's first African-American city commissioner (members of the city council are called "commissioners" under Portland's city commission government form). He was elected to the council seat in November 1974, to complete

2574-530: The home. This sentiment is reflected in Michael Sorkin's and Mike Davis' declaration of "the end of public space" and the "destruction of any truly democratic urban spaces." Another side of the debate, however, argues that it is people who apply meaning to public space, wherever it may be. It has been suggested that the concepts of public, space, democracy, and citizenship are being redefined by people through lived experience. Discussion has surfaced around

2640-424: The idea that, historically, public space has been inherently contradictory in the way that it has always been exclusive in who has been able to participate. This has caused the "counterpublics", as identified by Nancy Fraser, to establish their own public spaces to respond to their own concerns. These spaces are in constant flux, and in response, its users restructure and reinterpret physical space. An example of this

2706-411: The landmark 1875 federal building directly to the east. Villard's financial reverses forced him to withdraw. Local leaders re-organized the project in 1888 and contacted Widden, who came west and partnered with Ion Lewis to complete the job in 1890. The hotel was the center of the city's social activity for the first half of the 20th century. In 1951, the hotel was torn down and a two-story parking lot

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2772-561: The largest gatherings in its history, when a crowd estimated at more than 12,000 attended an anti-war rally protesting American involvement in the Gulf War , packing the square and overflowing onto the surrounding streets, which police temporarily closed to traffic. In 2006, architect Laurie Olin described Pioneer Courthouse Square, stating "you really can't sit in the shade in Pioneer Square. It's not quiet. The fountain looks like

2838-445: The local community have been crucial in the process of revitalisation of some decayed public spaces. Contemporary perception of public space has now branched and grown into a multitude of non-traditional sites with a variety of programs in mind. It is for this reason that the way in which design deals with public space as a discipline, has become such a diverse and indefinable field. Iris Aravot puts forward an interesting approach to

2904-491: The material time the public have or are permitted to have access, whether on payment or otherwise. If Members of the public had no right whatsoever to distribute leaflets or engage in other expressive activity on government-owned property...then there would be little if any opportunity to exercise their rights of freedom of expression. Supreme Court of Canada , defending right to poster on public utility poles and hand out leaflets in public government-owned buildings In

2970-404: The narrative-myth "imposes meaning specifically on what is still inexplicable", i.e. the essence of a city. Space design is defined as the "art and science of designing and arranging physical spaces to make them more conducive to human flourishing and  wellbeing. This process involves considering factors such as lighting, colour, furniture layout, and overall atmosphere to create a space that

3036-491: The project by buying the school, clearing the site, moving the school to SW 6th and Alder, re-fitting it, and giving it back to the school district. It stood until 1910. Villard hired the firm of McKim, Mead & White and its employee William M. Whidden to design the hotel, rising six stories to an attic with elaborate dormers, in an H-shaped plan with its main gated courtyard facing the Pioneer Courthouse ,

3102-469: The quality of American life and encouraging unity between all aspects of the community. It has been recently argued, however, that the democratic ideal of public life through the use of public space has deteriorated. As our cities accelerate towards segregation (social, economic, cultural, ethnic), the opportunity for public interaction is on the decline. John Chase writes, "The importance of voluntary and obligatory participation in civic life has been usurped by

3168-403: The removal or design of benches to restrict their use for sleeping and resting, restricting access to certain times, locking indoor/enclosed areas. Police forces are sometimes involved in moving 'unwanted' members of the public from public spaces. In fact, by not being provided suitable access, disabled people are implicitly excluded from some spaces. Human geographers have argued that in spite of

3234-528: The rights of the owners. Filming in public spaces is legal, but shopping malls are privately owned properties and often require permission for photography and video. In Nordic countries, like Norway, Sweden, Finland, and also Estonia, all nature areas are considered public space, due to a law, the allemansrätten (the right to common passage). In the United Kingdom a "Public place" includes any highway and any other premises or place to which at

3300-459: The rink would make the square more active in the winter months, and had funding pledged by The Oregonian and Wells Fargo Bank . There was a strong negative reaction, as admission would be charged, violating the free-speech ethos of the square and its design. As Park Block 5 was being designed, many felt the ice rink should be placed there instead. On November 26, 2010, the square was the site of an attempted car bombing . Mohamed Osman Mohamud,

3366-503: The sale of 50,000 inscribed bricks, to rescue the project. The square opened on April 6, 1984, with an inaugural celebration that attracted more than 10,000 people. The square is owned by the city of Portland and is a city park. By October 1988, when the square's fountain was turned over to the Portland Water Bureau , it already needed repairs. The Oregonian called it "a leaker with corroding drain lines". Repair work

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3432-408: The space that are enforced. Whilst it is generally considered that everyone has a right to access and use public space, as opposed to private space which may have restrictions, there has been some academic interest in how public spaces are managed to exclude certain groups - specifically homeless people and young people. Measures are taken to make the public space less attractive to them, including

3498-412: The space to prevent certain actions from occurring—public behavior that is considered obnoxious or out of character (i.e., drug and alcohol consumption, urinating, indecent exposure , etc.)--and are supported by law or ordinance . Through the landscape and spatial organization of public space, the social construction is considered to be privately ruled by the implicit and explicit rules and expectations of

3564-415: The space. These spaces acted as the ' commons ' of the people; a political, social and cultural arena. Of the thirteen colonies that became the United States, three were comprehensively planned with integrated physical, social, and economic elements. These planned colonies of Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Georgia each placed emphasis on public space, in particular the public square. The plan for Georgia, known as

3630-407: The square each year, including free shows during spring and summer, sponsored by local businesses. Events held in the square are usually all-ages . In 2006, the square was the site of an all-city pillow fight, and later an all-city slumber party. Pioneer Courthouse Square is a venue for speeches, political demonstrations, rallies and vigils. By Thanksgiving, a tall Christmas tree occupies the center of

3696-420: The square's construction, and are inscribed with donors' names. However, the bricks were not laid in any discernible order, so people looking for a particular brick must spend time walking around the park, head down. This leads to collisions with others looking for their bricks, and gave the park its nickname, "Bang Heads Park". Eric Ladd, an "early pioneer of… sustainable living ," built the wrought-iron gateway on

3762-410: The square) are sheltered MAX Light Rail stops. On the north side is an artistic feature, consisting of towering classical columns which progressively topple over like those of an ancient ruin. There are outdoor chess tables on some of the toppled columns; chess players frequently congregate there during the day. A fountain, taking the form of a cascading waterfall, on the west side of the square frames

3828-460: The square, with a tree-lighting ceremony held each year on the Friday evening after Thanksgiving. Another Christmas event in the square is Tuba Christmas. This is a celebration featuring 200–300 tuba and euphonium players who perform a medley of holiday songs, and was first held in 1991. An annual New Year's Eve celebration is also held there. On January 12, 1991, Pioneer Courthouse Square held one of

3894-607: The urban design process, with the idea of the 'narrative-myth'. Aravot argues that "conventional analysis and problem solving methods result in fragmentation...of the authentic experience of a city...[and] something of the liveliness of the city as a singular entity is lost." The process of developing a narrative-myth in urban design involves analysing and understanding the unique aspects of the local culture based on Cassirer's five distinctive "symbolic forms". They are myth and religion, art, language, history and science; aspects often disregarded by professional practice. Aravot suggests that

3960-450: The west. The city has owned the block since 1856, when Portland bought land that included the site, as the location for its Central School. The district financed its construction at Sixth and Morrison by suspending school operations for a year. In 1884 investor Henry Villard came to Portland, looking for business support for a railroad hotel associated with his newly acquired Northern Pacific Railway . Philip A. Marquam contributed to

4026-517: The winners by the City Council in May 1980. Their design received an "Architectural Design Citation" from Progressive Architecture magazine in 1981. Remnants of the hotel, an original archway and iron gatework, are found today on the east side of the square. Funding problems surfaced after the design was completed. Portland Mayor Frank Ivancie led a group of downtown business owners advocating

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4092-527: Was a brief period in the US under Franklin Delano Roosevelt's government that produced a huge number of public works in an economic effort to boost employment during the depression. The result, however, was more than this. They constituted a legacy of what has been called the cultural infrastructure underlying American public space. The New Deal projects have been credited with significantly contributing to

4158-549: Was built. An 800-car parking garage was proposed to the Portland Planning Commission in January 1969, but the commission rejected the idea, instead calling for a public plaza. In the early 1970s, a comprehensive downtown plan proposed that the site become dedicated public space. In 1975, Mayor Neil Goldschmidt began negotiating with local department store Meier & Frank to obtain the property for

4224-424: Was formed by City Council over the opposition of Mayor Frank Ivancie, who was closely tied with the Police Bureau, in response to the incident, in 1982. The police union organized a petition drive to bring the formation of the committee before voters, but voters approved the committee. In 1984, Jordan resigned his council seat and became the director of parks and recreation for the city of Austin, Texas . Jordan

4290-430: Was succeeded as Commissioner by Dick Bogle , who was also African-American. Jordan returned to Portland in 1989 as Director of Portland Parks & Recreation , and he would guide the department for 14 years. During Jordan's time at the parks department, Portland acquired 44 new recreational facilities. In 2012, Portland honored Jordan by renaming University Park Community Center in Portland's Portsmouth neighborhood

4356-462: Was undertaken in 1995, during which the purple tiles that had originally surfaced the fountain were replaced with granite veneer. The fountain received another overhaul in 2006, but without any change to its appearance. In 1989, a Starbucks coffeehouse opened at the northwest corner of the square, replacing a series of failed restaurants at the same location. Still in existence, this was the company's first Oregon outlet and its 40th overall. In 2001,

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