Portland is a young city founded on a river bank in a virgin forest less than 200 years ago. Shaping Portland: Anatomy of a Healthy City is about the values engendered by the place, and how those values have influenced the growing city. It examines how and why the public realm supports or obstructs the health-forward lifestyles of those who choose to live there.

This book explores the values and dynamics that shaped a healthy city to enable those things. It is a case study of a recognized success – looking more closely at a recent urban infill: the Pearl District. The future roles of the planners and other design professionals in continuing to build healthy and responsive environments are suggested.

The cities of the future will be those that we already inhabit, but infilled and adapted to tomorrow's needs and values. Understanding the dynamics involved is essential for those in whose hands we entrust the design of cities and urban places.