Better Center Project
The Better Center project aims to improve the safety and comfort of Portlanders who walk, bike, and roll along Center Street, Foster-Powell’s only East-West Greenway. If you would like to get involved, please email the FPNA Land Use & Transportation Chair. Our meetings are currently the first Monday of every month from 7:15pm-8:15pm. Please use the links below to join the online meeting.
Microsoft Teams Meeting Information
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Meeting ID: 937 568 590 792 8 Passcode: eP3mm9
Latest News
Better Center Project Update and Strategy Session
Come join us on Tuesday, July 21st at 7:00pm to find out how you can help! We will be proposing street painting refreshes, a traffic garden for our kids at Creston Elementary, sidewalk art, street sign toppers, and paint & post curb extensions to calm traffic. All these projects will be great for the neighborhood and we will need many hands to accomplish them! 📅 Tuesday, July 21st⏰ 7:00pm – 8:30pm📍 Zoom link here
Click here to read more Better Center Project Update and Strategy Session
The Street
Center Street runs through the middle of the Foster-Powell neighborhood in Southeast Portland, allowing access to schools, local businesses, and neighborhood parks. As a Neighborhood Greenway, Center Street is meant to be low-traffic and low-speed, where walking, biking, and rolling are prioritized. It is also a designated Safe Route to School, a priority route for children walking or rolling between home and school.
The Problems
Despite being a designated Greenway and Safe Route to School, Center Street lacks features like curb extensions, curb ramps, modal filters, and street trees to ensure a safe environment for all people using the street. Residents report safety concerns interacting with traffic on the street. Foster-Powell is a low income neighborhood relative to the city average. Like many such neighborhoods, it lacks adequate tree canopy to protect residents from rising summer temperatures and has recently lost canopy.
The Project
Foster-Powell residents care about Center Street and want to make it safer and healthier. The city can ultimately address some of the issues, but its time and financial resources are limited. To fill that gap, the project committee is pursuing a program of Tactical Urbanism and Community-Led Placemaking: identifying and pursuing improvements residents can make themselves.
In some cases Portland already gives residents tools to do this; in others we hope to work with the city to expand that toolbox. By permitting more neighborhood-led safety improvements, the city will get closer to achieving its equity, climate and traffic safety goals while empowering Portlanders to take an active role in the solution.
Better Center Resident Survey
In September 2025, the project committee surveyed residents on and around Center Street to gauge interest in a variety of different potential improvements. Over 200 people responded. A large majority walk and/or bike regularly on Center Street. Respondents identified safety and greenspace improvements as their top priorities.
Read a detailed summary of the survey results.
Project Opportunities
Some potential projects the committee is considering are described below.
Mural Painting
Street paintings are a great way for the community to add more unique character, and tend to be loved by residents. Adding street murals was among the most popular art enhancements selected by survey respondents. Center Street already contains some street murals but some need touch-ups and we’d love to add more. Each mural requires a city permit, supplies, and volunteers to do the painting.
Lane Narrowing with Planter Boxes
Narrowing streets is very effective at reducing vehicle speeds, which significantly improves safety. Installing planter boxes is a relatively inexpensive way to accomplish this which also creates a beautification opportunity. Curb extensions were among the most popular safety enhancements selected by survey respondents.
Street Trees
Adding more trees to the existing planter strip was among the most popular greenspace enhancements selected by survey respondents. Planting a street tree requires the adjacent property owner to get a city permit, a safe-dig check, an approved tree, and volunteers to do the planting.
Getting Involved
The project committee is open to all neighborhood residents. Committee activities include fundraising, grant writing, project design and management, advocacy with the city, outreach and communication with residents, and project implementation (e.g. painting more street murals). If you’d like to help out, please email the FPNA Land Use & Transportation Chair for an invitation. Our meetings are currently the first Monday of every month from 7:15pm-8:15pm.