Willamette Riverbank Design Notebook

Hired by the City of Portland, GreenWorks led a team of biology, engineering, and erosion consultants to investigate existing bank conditions along the Willamette River in downtown Portland. The banks were inventoried by category and then color maps were created using ArcView GIS. A “Design Notebook” containing innovative design options for the Willamette riverbank was developed for the use of both public and private developers. The options were designed to create new models for an urban riverfront while protecting threatened fish species. Incorporated into the analysis of existing conditions is a description of the defining characteristics of the Willamette River Downtown area. The notebook consists of 4 major chapters: Inventory and Background, Operating Instructions, The Design Worksheet, and Design Solutions. The Design Notebook process was carefully coordinated with the National Marine Fisheries Service, US Army Corps of Engineers, Oregon Division of State Lands and various bureaus within the City of Portland. This project received a National ASLA Honor Award in 2002 and an Oregon Chapter ASLA Merit Award in 2000.