michael slater

Urban Planning, Landscape Design & Arboriculture

Salem North Waterfront

About the Project

Urban Renewal, the Willamette River, and the Future of the North Waterfront

The City of Salem is considering creation of a new North Waterfront Urban Renewal Area, covering approximately 421 acres north of downtown Salem. The proposed district would use tax increment financing over several decades to support redevelopment, infrastructure, housing, transportation, and other public investments.

The initial plan fails to engage the area's 6,000 feet of Willamette River shoreline in any meaningful way. Decisions made now could shape Salem's north riverfront for generations.

I've been following the proposal with particular interest in three questions: What role should the Willamette River play in the area's future? Who should participate in planning it? And how can public and private investments ultimately create a coherent place?

This page collects my writing on the North Waterfront, along with links to important public documents and future updates.

For related citywide work on streams, wetlands, and floodplains, see the Salem Significant Lands Project.

News

City Delays North Waterfront URA

The Truitt Brothers Cannery, active railroad, and nonconforming public street represent existing redevelopment challenges and opportunities within the proposed North Waterfront URA. Salem City Manager Krishna Namburi told the City Council, “I want us to take the time to get this right,” as she asked the Council to delay consideration of the North Waterfront Urban Renewal Area (URA) at last night’s Council meeting. The Council had been expected to adopt the plan and have a fir

Three Questions on the North Waterfront URA

In my letter to the City Council, I ask three questions about the North Waterfront URA. Where is the river in the North Waterfront Urban Renewal Area? Despite nearly 6,000 feet of Willamette River shoreline, none of the plan’s six goals are related to the river. Who are the stakeholders and what is the engagement process? The list of stakeholders for this diverse, historical, and complicated area could be long, but the plan provides no information about who will have a voice

Salem's Proposed North Waterfront Urban Renewal District Misses the River

A proposed new urban renewal area in Salem fails to integrate the Willamette River despite 6,000 feet of riverfront property. The City of Salem is proposing a new 421-acre urban renewal district. Oddly, the North Waterfront Urban Renewal District Plan has very little to say about the Willamette River or Willamette Greenway, despite the proposed district’s 6,000 feet of riverfront property. The urban renewal area (URA) is scheduled to run for 33 years and will capture $199 m