Author: NPB
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Do You Know The Difference Between Policy and Law?
One of the biggest questions we run into is “why isn’t law enforcement enforcing the law”. This is a great question but, also a complicated one. Herein lies the conundrum of law and policy. The State of Oregon’s legislature writes state laws. Local city government officials that “we” vote for and put into office set…
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New to Facebook “Keep Portland Weird, But Safe”
There’s new Facebook page Keep Portland Weird, But Safe While this page is not a publication of the North Park Blocks it seems our NPB experience this past summer has inspired it’s launch. In return we would like to publicize the page and share its public statement. “Keep Portland Weird, But Safe” – Public Statement: City Policy…
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North Park Block Tree Trimming Starts Nov 2nd
Dear North Park Block Neighbors, The trees on the North Park Blocks will be receiving some much needed attention November 2nd through November 13th by the City of Portland Parks and Recreation-Urban Forestry Department. Each tree will be pruned for canopy lifting and hazard limb removal as warranted. This pruning is necessary to ensure overall tree health…
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Keep Portland Weird (But Safe)
This past summer the North Park Blocks experienced a dramatic rise in unlawful activity – traveling gangs, aggressive panhandlers, drugs, public sex, off-leash dog attacks. That situation was turned around when City Hall finally took notice and Portland Police stepped up their presence to enforce the law in the park. We saw smart policing based on…
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Cities: Contradictions of Capitalism
Excerpt from: Naked Cities: The Death and Life of Urban America By Adam Gopnik The New Yorker Oct 5, 2015 Cities can’t win. When they do well, people resent them as citadels of inequality; when they do badly, they are cesspools of hopelessness. In the seventies and eighties, the seemingly permanent urban crisis became the verdict…