Re-Imaging a Neighborhood : the Creation of the Alberta Arts District, Portland, Oregon
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Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses 2005 Re-imaging a neighborhood : the creation of the Alberta Arts District, Portland, Oregon Meredith R. Rizzari Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Part of the Urban Studies and Planning Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Rizzari, Meredith R., "Re-imaging a neighborhood : the creation of the Alberta Arts District, Portland, Oregon" (2005). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 4052. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.5936 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. THESIS APPROVAL The abstract and thesis of Meredith R. Rizzari for the Master of Science in Geography were presented on June 7, 2005, and accepted by the thesis committee and department. COMMITTEE APPROVALS: Martha Works Carl Abbott Representative of the Office of Graduate Studies DEPARTMENT APPROVAL: Teresa Bulman, Chair Department of Geography ABSTRACT An abstract of the thesis of Meredith R. Rizzari for the Master of Science in Geography presented June 7, 2005. Title: Re-imaging a Neighborhood: The Creation of the Alberta Arts District, Portland, Oregon. Art is often used as a catalyst to stimulate redevelopment and neighborhood change. This often occurs inadvertently as the presence of artists in certain communities can attract both public and private investment to revalorize economically depressed areas. Marginal neighborhoods in inner-urban areas offer inspiration and diversity to artists seeking lower-cost housing. Their presence effectively makes these marginal communities "safe" for middle-class residents looking to live in a funky, urban neighborhood. Ultimately, however, artists are eventually priced out of the communities they helped to create. The Alberta district in northeast Portland, Oregon has used art to create an identity that distinguished it from other redeveloped neighborhoods throughout the city, having become known as the Alberta Arts District. The research presented in this thesis traces the history of the Alberta district from its roots as a thriving streetcar community through its years as a dilapidated, crime-ridden neighborhood, and into its current state as a vibrant arts district. I show how the commercial corridor along Alberta Street has evolved to reflect the changing demographic composition of the surrounding neighborhood. Additionally, housing in the surrounding residential neighborhood has experienced a dramatic increase in average sale price and an upfiltering of aesthetic appearance. Many are attracted to the Alberta district for its vibrancy and diversity, the people and businesses that contribute to the diverse atmosphere may disappear as real estate becomes increasingly more expensive. 2 RE-IMAGING A NEIGHBORHOOD: THE CREATION OF THE ALBERTA ARTS DISTRICT, PORTLAND, OREGON by MEREDITH R. RIZZARI A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Ill GEOGRAPHY Portland State University 2005 ·t<1sno1.1.as OOJ af!1 aJtVJ JOU OJ iJJUVJ.tOdULJ JSOW 'JfUJlfJ not( uvw a.tow aw J1f2nvJ a11., noA. ·aw UJ pattaJlaq siVMJV OlfM .1.aipvf iw JO.!f ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I owe gratitude to the many people who offered their insight about the history and development of the Alberta neighborhood, namely Donna Guardino and Magnus Johannesson. Special thanks to my dearest friends Mark, Lauren, Amber, and Leon for providing me with support, comments, entertainment, and the much needed distraction. Most of all, I am indebted to my advisor, Tom Harvey. Thank you for pushing me to do better and for your patience as I sifted through the myriad topics of research I had when I started in the program. Your wit, wisdom, and guidance have not gone unnoticed or unappreciated. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................... ii LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER 1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 1 Description of Study Area ......................................................... 2 Geographical boundaries ............................................... 2 The built environment and physical characteristics ...... 4 Research Intentions ................................................................... 6 Methodology ................................................................ 11 Issues of Gentrification ............................................................ 14 Cultural capital and cultural consumption ................... 15 Art and the public sector. ............................................. 17 Establishing a Neighborhood Identity ..................................... 21 Implications of the Research ................................................... 22 2 Historical Context. ............................................................................... 25 The Streetcar Years - 1890s to 1920s ..................................... 25 Prosperity - 1920s to 1950s .................................................... 29 Decline - 1950s to 1990s ........................................................ 30 Revitalization - 1990s to present ............................................ 33 The Target Area Designation program ........................ 38 The Alberta Streetscape Plan ...................................... 39 Demographics .............................................................. 40 3 Artistic Influence ................................................................................. 43 Art as a Vehicle for Neighborhood Change ............................ 43 Changing Perception and Redefining an Area ........................ 4 7 Media attention and advertising .................................. 48 Public art ..................................................................... 49 Politics ..................................................................................... 50 The Neighborhood Lifecycle .................................................. 51 Political and Non-Profit Support ............................................. 53 Regional Arts and Culture Council ............................. 54 Art on Alberta ................................................. '............. 55 Art Activity in the Alberta District ......................................... 57 Last Thursday .............................................................. 57 The Alberta Streetfair and the Art Hop ....................... 62 4 Commercial Change ............................................................................ 64 A Timeline of Change ............................................................. 65 The Current State of Affairs .................................................... 74 Art, Cuisine, and Gentrification .............................................. 77 The Fight for Local Representation ......................................... 80 5 Housing and Residential Change ........................................................ 86 The Housing Stock .................................................................. 86. Neighborhood Demographics ................................................. 89 Housing tenure ............................................................ 89, Housing value .............................................................. 89 General demographic data ........................................... 91 The Changing Landscape ........................................................ 93 6 Concluding Remarks ........................................................................... 96 A Comparative Analysis ......................................................... 97 Hawthorne ................................................................... 97 NW 23rd Avenue............ ;...... H ....... n .................................... 99 Commonalities with other Portland neighborhoods... 100 The Significance of Creativity .............................................. 102 Summary ............................................................................... 105 References ..................................................................................................... 109 APPENDIX A - Business types and land us-e ........................................................... 116 APPENDIX B - Statistical analysis .......................................................................... 129· LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1 Business type ..................................................................................... 65 2 Number of housing units in structure .................................................. 87 3 Housing occupancy ........... : .................................................................. 90 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1 Location of the Alberta Arts District.. ................................................... 3 2 New construction ................................................................................... 5 3 Zoning within the Alberta district ......................................................... 8 4