Livability
Land use affects your health and happiness! The built environment has a huge impact on quality of life. Livability means that kids can safely bike to school and seniors can age in place. It means that people have diverse choices for housing and transportation and that they drink clean water and breath fresh air. Livability means that our neighborhoods are welcoming, people have rich social connections and feel like they can they have a role to play in civic life.
Westside Park
As our city grows it’s important to preserve open space and parks close to our neighborhoods that people can safely reach by foot, bike or a short drive. We should create parks that people love, use frequently, and future generations will be thankful for. We think this 20-acre property located at the corner of Fairview and Belmont is our last best hope for such a park.
Heights Urban Renewal
In 2011, the City of Hood River created an Urban Renewal District as a source of funding for projects to improve the streetscapes, livability, economy and beauty of the Heights. Check out urban planning expert Dan Burden’s Heights Walkshop Report which is chock full of inspirational and practical solutions to make the Heights a better place to live, shop, work and play.
Safe Routes to Schools
Getting kids walking or biking to school is healthy, reduces childhood obesity and improves educational outcomes. Thanks to an Oregon Community Foundation grant, Thrive is working with the Hood River County School District to create Safe Routes to Schools Action Plans for May St. Elementary, Westside Elementary and Hood River Middle School.
Missing Middle Housing
Missing Middle Housing is the name given to a range of multi-unit or clustered housing types compatible in scale with single-family homes. They provide diverse housing options along the spectrum of affordability, and include things like duplexes, fourplexes, granny flats, cottage clusters and bungalow courts. They allow us to use land more efficiently while retaining neighborhood character.
Streets Alive
In September 2018 we helped organize Streets Alive! – a street-party-meets-activist event that temporarily closed a few traffic lanes in the Heights to vehicles so that people of all ages could freely walk, bike, play and share food, music and art with their neighbors. We were especially excited about creating demonstration crosswalks and bike lanes on 12th and 13th Streets to model a safer, friendlier Heights streetscape.
Westside Area Plan
The Westside Area Plan is the City of Hood River’s deepest and most comprehensive look at its residential land in 40 years. The project covers 450 acres and the last big pieces of undeveloped land in the City and includes housing, transportation, parks and infrastructure. By planning ahead of development, we’ve got our best shot to make these new neighborhoods into beloved parts of our city.