Learn how community members and public agencies began charting a path toward better transit, jobs and public spaces in outer East Portland …
In the Career and Technical Education building on the David Douglas High School campus, the “Transit Matters: Placemaking, Safety & Economic Vitality in East Portland” conference is underway.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Division Midway Alliance (DMA) brought community members, youth, transportation professionals and public agencies together on Saturday morning, September 12, 2026, for the “Transit Matters: Placemaking, Safety & Economic Vitality in East Portland” conference at David Douglas High School.
At the reception desk, Mohammad Reza Omid checks in participants for the DMA’s “Transit Matters” conference.
Hosted inside the school’s new Career and Technical Education building in the Hazelwood neighborhood, the DMA gathering featured a keynote address by Article5 founder JT Flowers, followed by breakout sessions in nearby classrooms. Between sessions, participants relaxed over refreshments as conversations continued in the hallways.
DMA Executive Director Lisha Shrestha explained that the event grew out of a desire to connect people who work on transportation, economic development and placemaking across outer East Portland.
Conference organizer Lisha Shrestha, Executive Director of Division Midway Alliance, officially greets participants as the meeting gets underway.
“The goal of this gathering is to bring people who are working in the field of transportation, economic development, place making, all of them together to really talk about why we need more investment in East Portland and why we deserve that,” Shrestha explained.
Connecting mobility, safety and local business
Shrestha emphasized that transportation spending in East Portland needs to be viewed as more than concrete, asphalt, and bus stops.
“Why investing in transportation is something beyond that, beyond just creating mobility infrastructure,” Shrestha pointed out. “It is also about creating job opportunities. It is also about creating safer and more welcoming space, and also supporting our local businesses.”
Participants in this breakout session converse about “Improving Public Safety,” exploring ways to make neighborhoods and transit spaces safer for residents and commuters.
She noted that bringing a wide range of stakeholders into the same rooms helped underline how these issues intersect.
“Which is why it’s important to have this conversation,” Shrestha told East Portland News. “Make sure that all these ideas are connected, and how can we create better, equitable investment in East Portland.”
Throughout the morning, attendees and participants broke into three sessions, using classrooms in the CTE center to dive deeper into topics such as mobility, public safety, placemaking and economic opportunity. The small-group format gave neighbors and youth a chance to speak directly with transportation professionals and agency staff.
DMA’s Lorena Mora presents during the “Creating Vibrant Public Spaces (Placemaking)” breakout session, discussing community-driven design and neighborhood activation.
Planting seeds for future partnerships
Shrestha characterized the event as a starting point rather than a final plan. “Our goal is, you know, to plant a seed that can spark conversation on how we can bring more investment in East Portland,” she reflected.
DMA leaders also worked to encourage ongoing collaboration among the people who attended. “We encourage partners, community members, planners who are here today, to start thinking about who they can partner with in building a better East Portland,” Shrestha continued. “So that’s our hope.”
For many participants, the conference highlighted how closely linked mobility, neighborhood safety and local economic opportunity are in this part of the city.
n this breakout session, participants summarize their topic as DMA’s Lorena Mora presents during the “Creating Vibrant Public Spaces (Placemaking)” discussion on community-driven design and neighborhood activation.
What investment could look like on the ground
When asked what specific investments she would like to see, Shrestha outlined several priorities that she views as essential for the area.
“We need more workforce centers so that people who live out here can actually work here, start earning income here. They don’t have to travel a lot,” she observed.
Improved transit and safer streets also ranked high on her list. “In terms of transit development, in terms of investing in transportation, we need to make sure everyone who are transit dependent are able to access those services without any barriers, and also be able to walk and bike safely,” Shrestha stressed. “And you know how outer East Portland roads are, right? So we need more safer roads, more sidewalk, and better transportation system.”
Helping out with the silent auction, DMA volunteer Anita Tang, of IRCO, assists with organizing items for bidders.
Beyond transportation, she pointed to the lack of dedicated spaces for small business support and community gathering in East Portland.
“The other thing that I would like to highlight is a business incubation space for East Portland, because there are none. A community center. So those are things that I would like to see happening soon in outer East Portland,” Shrestha concluded.
A conference that continues in conversation
As the final breakout sessions wrapped up and participants finished their refreshments, it became clear that the day’s discussions would not end at the doors of the CTE building. Conversations about safer streets, more accessible transit, business incubation and community space carried on among neighbors, youth and professionals alike.
A volunteer posts flip-chart summaries from the breakout sessions as the conference draws to a close.
Organizers intended the “Placemaking, Safety & Economic Vitality in East Portland” conference to be one step in a longer effort to bring more equitable investment to outer East Portland. Judging from the energy in the classrooms and hallways, the seeds Shrestha hoped to plant appeared to be taking root.
By the end of the morning, participants left with new connections and clearer ideas about how to improve mobility, safety and economic opportunity in outer East Portland, as DMA and its partners continue working to turn those conversations into action.
For information about Division Midway Alliance, see their official website: https://divisionmidway.org/.
© 2026 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™
