If livability is an important ingredient in corporate site selection, then Portland should be concerned about the results of the 26th annual Community Survey by the City of Portland about livability: This year’s rating was the lowest since the Portland City Auditor began asking the question in 1998.
Only 63% of respondents felt positively about Portland as a livable city, according to the survey. Not only was the rating of livability a significant decline from five years ago, it represented a decline from last year’s 74% who felt that way.
Survey results show respondents noted both residential and commercial construction increasing in 2016 compared with 2012—no surprise there—citywide and in all neighborhood areas except East and Southwest. When asked to rate the attractiveness of new construction, resident ratings declined over the last five years. The decline was more pronounced in Inner Northeast for residential construction and in Southeast for commercial construction, the survey found.
The following groups of respondents reported lower views on city livability than others: residents age 60 and older; those who have lived in the same residence for 10 or more years; individuals with a disability; those who make less than $75k/year; and those who have less than a bachelor’s degree.
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