michael slater
Planning, Landscape Design & Arboriculture
Salem North Waterfront
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.
Latest: City Delays Consideration of the North Waterfront URA
Salem's City Manager asked the City Council to delay consideration of the proposed urban renewal area on August 24. Councilors raised questions about the proposal's treatment of the Willamette River, while the discussion also highlighted larger questions about planning and public engagement.
Read: City Delays North Waterfront URA →
Why Is the Willamette River Missing from the Plan?
The proposed urban renewal area contains nearly 6,000 feet of Willamette River shoreline. Yet none of the plan's six goals specifically addresses the river or the Willamette Greenway.
Salem already has policies calling for greater public access to the river, protection of natural resources, recreation, and enhancement of the Willamette Greenway. The North Waterfront creates an opportunity to put those policies into practice.
Read: Salem's Proposed North Waterfront Urban Renewal District Misses the River →
Three Questions About the North Waterfront
As Salem considers investing in the area over the coming decades, I think three questions deserve particular attention:
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Where is the river?
How should nearly 6,000 feet of Willamette River shoreline shape the plan? -
Who are the stakeholders?
Who should participate in decisions about the area's future, and how will that engagement occur? -
Who is designing this area?
How will individual transportation, housing, economic-development, park, environmental, and private-development projects combine to create a coherent place?
Key Documents and Resources
For readers who want to examine the proposal directly:
I'll add additional planning documents, public records, meeting materials, and other resources here as they become relevant.