Public Involvement & Equity in Portland

To have meaningful discourse about the future of Portland’s public involvement system, we must understand the initiatives that shaped where we are today. We know that great progress is needed in implementing effective, more inclusive engagement practices. Explore the projects that have come before, and consider how they can be built upon as we strive to better engage all Portlanders.


Programs to Advance Equity, City of Portland 2006-2016

This document lists many of the efforts made by the Office of Neighborhood Involvement (ONI), now called the Office of Community and Civic life (Civic Life), to advance equitable public engagement practices from 2006-2016. Most of these programs ended due to budget constraints or administrative turn over, but their many successes can provide a useful foundation to build an inclusive public involvement system.

Public Involvement Task Force (2003-2004)

Begining of Community Connect (2005)

Neighborhood and Community Engagement Initiative (NCEI) (2006-2009): gave coalitions funding to partner with underrepresented groups to promote cross-cultural engagement.

Making Room at the Table: 2006 handbook for building more diverse leadership and organizations

Diversity and Civic Leadership (DCL) Program (2007-current): After years of collaborative work among identity-based groups, neighborhood volunteers and neighborhood coalition staff, in 2007 Council approved funding for the DCL program, which 1) awards grants to nonprofits serving historically underrepresented groups and 2) increases public engagement with diverse populations.

  • The first four years of the program included funding for a Leadership Academy (2006-2010), which encouraged leaders of color to lend their perspectives and talents to city government.
  • DCLs have engaged thousands of people in activities to build community identity, work on issue campaigns and increase contact between organizations and with government.

ONI Bureau/Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) (2007-2017): DCL partners joined the ONI BAC to advise programming and advocate for budget priorities to enhance equity. Members formed relationships and understanding over years of collaboration.

Neighborhood (now Community & Civic Engagement) Small Grants Program (2007-current): awards funds annually to hundreds of community and neighborhood groups in Portland. Up to 40% of the grants each year went to organizations serving underrepresented groups.

Community Connect Final Report (2008): The Community Connect task force gathered input from 1,400 people to establish a vision for public involvement recognizing the myriad ways Portlanders engage with one another. Council approved the strategic plan and directed ONI to implement inclusive programming. The strategic plan adhered to three overarching goals, which ONI adopted into its own mission:

  • Increase the number and diversity of people involved in their communities.
  • Strengthen community capacity
  • Increase community impact on public decisions.

Public Involvement Advisory Council (PIAC) (2008): PIAC convened City staff and a diverse group of community members to devise strategies for improving public involvement and impact.

Restorative Listening Project on Gentrification (2009-2012): ONI staff facilitated monthly community forums for North and NE Portland residents to share their experiences with gentrification.

Equity Workgroup (2010-2012): The ONI director chaired a workgroup that developed the Framework for Equity.

City of Portland Public Involvement Principles (2010): Council adopted public involvement principles to guide community engagement across all bureaus. The principles continue to serve as a model for communities outside Portland.

Race and Social Justice Initiative (2010): Inspired by Seattle’s Race and Social Justice Initiative, ONI staff brought speakers from the project to Portland and organized a community trip to Seattle. This contributed to the creation of the City of Portland Office of Equity (2011), which works towards equity within bureaus.

Community and Neighborhood Involvement Center (CNIC) (formerly Neighborhood Resource Center) (2011): ONI expanded to include new staff dedicated to building partnerships with historically underrepresented communities with programs focused on Diversity and Civic Leadership, Disability, New Portlanders, Youth, and Public Involvement Best Practices.

Public Involvement Statement (2011): Council required all ordinances, resolutions, reports and other items to include an explanation of how the community was engaged in development.

Portland Comprehensive Plan Update—Community Engagement Chapter 2 (2012-2014): The first time PIAC members and ONI staff implemented the City’s Public Involvement Principles and Framework for Equity to develop binding policies for all future land use planning activities.

East Portland Neighborhood Office Advisory Committee Expansion (2014): CNIC staff helped coordinate inclusive process to expand formal advisory for EPNO, later called EPCO.

New and Diverse Voices Small Grants Program (2016) provided one-time small grants to projects serving communities of color and immigrant and refugee populations.

Portland United Against Hate (2016): ONI supported an anti-hate collaborative which is now a network of diverse organizations receiving funding for trainings and incident reporting.

A Code for All Portlanders (2019): Civic Life report with Resolution 37373 and proposed Ordinance to change code 3.96

Current “ONI Standards” for neighborhood participation for reference