Building the New Damascus

On May 7, 2009, Jim Charlier spoke at the “BUILDING THE NEW DAMASCUS – A ‘Smart Growth’ Conference for Realtors, Community Leaders, and Citizens” in Damascus, Oregon. The one-day event was organized by the Oregon Transportation and Growth Management Program. Jim’s topic was “Sustainable Mobility: Challenges and Opportunities for Damascus.” A copy of the presentation is available below.

The event was sponsored by the East Metro Association of Realtors, City of Damascus, Oregon Association of Realtors, Oregon Transportation & Growth Management Program, National Association of Realtors, and the Damascus Christian School. Other speakers included Dr. Arthur (Chris) Nelson, University of Utah, and Laurence Qamar, Principal, Architecture & Town Planning in Portland.

Damascus is a recently-incorporated city that is located within the recent expansion area of the Portland region’s urban growth boundary. Today it is a largely rural place of tree-covered hills, deep river valleys and small farms. Until recently, this area was home to fewer than 10,000 people; however, now that it is within Portland’s designated growth area, it will its population increase to at least 30,000 over the next couple of decades.

Copy of Jim’s presentation: