Portland, Oregon is going through growing pains.
This project, photographed from 2014-2017, is a snapshot of a city in transition. The majority of these images describe scenes in inner southeast and northeast Portland neighborhoods. These residential areas close to the Willamette River are experiencing record-breaking growth. Human figures are rarely included, allowing the natural and artificial environment to illustrate the effects of human impact.
The viewer may benefit from an understanding of the history of housing in Portland in 2016:
Population density is skyrocketing. Each season sets new records for temperature or rainfall. Snowstorms, once a rare occurrence, disrupt business every winter.
Rent increased at a rate twice the national average in 2015 and increases faster each year. Locally-owned storefronts are often demolished to make way for new construction. Food truck pods close to make room for expensive condos. New housing developments conflict with grassroots campaigns against increasing neighborhood density.
These conditions are in no way unique to Portland. Rural and suburban populations are moving into cities in record numbers. Major cities like New York have their own history of gentrification, but Portland is only now experiencing its first housing boom in recent memory. Still, Oregon law prohibits rent control measures.
These photographs document the current urban environment of Portland, Oregon. The city is undergoing obvious change and is uncertain of what it will become.