Taking a "Big Look" at the future of Oregon: a conversation with John Fregonese

Portland Spaces - May 2008

From Los Angeles to Nashville to southern Louisiana, John Fregonese estimates that he has planned future environs for 35 million people. But his next mission will be more akin to herding cats: Oregon’s “Big Look,” a governor-appointed, 10-person task force, has hired Fregonese to create a vision for the state that goes beyond the patchwork remodeling that voters passed with Measures 37 and 49.

Before joining the regional planning big leagues, Fregonese rose through the Oregon minors, directing planning for Woodburn, Ashland, and Portland’s regional government, Metro. But so far he’s been unafraid to come back and challenge Oregon orthodoxies.

At Bright Lights, we’ll discuss his planning work, both in other cities and here at home, and focus on how Oregon might better balance farmland and open space protections with property rights and economic development.