The American city of Portland, Oregon has 21 public street plazas administered by the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), as of 2025. The plazas are collectively referred to as the Portland Public Street Plazas. PBOT's public street plaza program started during the COVID-19 pandemic to help businesses and community members host activities in public spaces. According to the city, "The program uses PBOT's Livable Streets Strategy, adopted by Portland City Council in 2017 as its policy foundation to turn streets into inclusive public spaces that foster public life. In 2022 PBOT’s Planning team started work to turn the temporary, pandemic-era program into a permanent Street Plaza program."[1]
In 2021, PBOT received $1.2 million from the U.S. Economic Development Administration via the American Rescue Plan Act to fund the creation of 32,000 square feet of street plazas for the purpose of economic development and tourism. In her role as Transportation Commissioner, Jo Ann Hardesty had supported[3] and directed the city to apply for funding.[4][5][6]
In September 2023, PBOT partnered with the nonprofit trade association MusicPortland to host live music at three of the plazas: Ankeny Rainbow Road in southeast Portland as well as the Cart Blocks and Pride Plaza in southwest Portland.[7]
North Portland
Plazas in north Portland include Fenwick Plaza, Kenton Plaza,[1] and St. Johns Plaza.[8]
Fenwick Plaza is on Fenwick Avenue between Willis and Interstate Avenues.[8] The plaza opened in April 2021 and the city has considered re-opening the space for car traffic.[9][10]
Kenton Plaza is on Denver Avenue at Interstate Avenue.[1]
St. Johns Plaza is at Lombard Street and Philadelphia Avenue.[8] The plaza was among multiple gathering sites for the Hands Off protests in April 2025.[11][12]
Northeast Portland
Plazas in northeast Portland include Concordia Commons, Dream Street Plaza,[1] Harold P. Kelley Plaza, Outer Space Plaza, Roseway Plaza, and Stoll Plaza.[1][8]
Concordia Commons is at 30th Avenue and Killingsworth Street.[8]
Dream Street Plaza is on Sumner Street at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.[1]
Harold P. Kelley Plaza is on Hancock Street between 42nd Avenue and Sandy Boulevard.[8] The plaza has a Benson Bubbler fountain and has hosted chess.[13]
Outer Space Plaza is at 26th-27th Avenue Alley and Alberta Street.[8]
Roseway Plaza is at the intersection of 72nd Avenue and Mason Street.[14]
Stoll Plaza is on 41st Avenue between Sandy Boulevard and Broadway.[1]
Northwest Portland
Designated areas for outdoor dining on Northwest 13th Avenue, 2022
In northwest Portland, the 13th Avenue Plaza (or NW 13th Avenue Plaza)[1] is on 13th Avenue between Everett and Irving Streets, in the Pearl District.[8][15] The plaza has hosted First Thursday, which showcases works by local artists.[1] In 2025, PBOT announced plans to reduce the size of the plaza and restore car traffic to the street.[16][17][18]
Southeast Portland
Plazas in southeast Portland include Ankeny Rainbow Road, Arleta Triangle Square (72nd Avenue and Woodstock Boulevard), Clinton Street Plaza, Dream Big Plaza,[14] Hawthorne Plaza, Montavilla Plaza, and Spokane Plaza.[2][8]
Ankeny Rainbow Road, 2025
Ankeny Rainbow Road is on Ankeny Street between 27th and 28th Avenues,[2][8] in the Buckman neighborhood at the boundary with Kerns. In mid 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jonathan Maus of BikePortland said Ankeny Rainbow Road was the city's "best distanced-dining street plaza".[19][20] Volunteers repainted the plaza in April 2025.[21][22]
Clinton Street Plaza is on Clinton Street between 25th and 26th Avenues.[2][8] In 2021, Michael Russell included the plaza in The Oregonian's overview of Portland's best new restaurant and bar patios. He wrote, "A half dozen restaurants and bars came together for this barn raising (er, plaza planting?) last August, with new street seating and covered patios sprouting in front of Dot's Cafe, Magna Kusina, La Moule, Broder Cafe and more, with a bike lane carved down the middle."[23] Russell also included Clinton Street Plaza in the newspaper's 2022 list of the city's 35 "best patios and rooftop bars for outdoor dining this summer".[24]
Dream Big Plaza (also known as Portland Dream Plaza)[25] opened at the intersection of 9th Avenue and Taylor Street in July 2025.[14][26] The space has art, basketball hoops, and skateboard ramps. It is adjacent to an office occupied by the nonprofit organization Dream Big City, which hosts pop-up block parties called "Fam Jams". The group acquired a one-year permit from PBOT to host block parties weekly.[25] The plaza has the nation's largest mural of a skateboard, measuring 126 feet long and 34 feet wide.[26][27] The mural was created by artist Matt French and a team of volunteers using donated paint.[28]
Hawthorne Plaza, 2025
Hawthorne Plaza is at the intersection of Hawthorne Boulevard and 37th Avenue. It opened in June 2025.[29][30][31] The space has greenery, lighting, picnic tables, public art, and a solar kiosk to allow phone charging. The project was supported by PBOT, the Hawthorne Boulevard Business Association, and the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association. Venture Portland contributed $46,000. Plans for the plaza started in August 2024.[32][33][34] Kami Gould painted a large mural of flowers and foliage called In Bloom to commemorate the "evolving spirit" of the community.[31]
Montavilla Plaza is at the intersection of 79th Avenue and Stark Street.[2][8] It was created in 2021, in collaboration with the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association.[35] The plaza hosted a makers' market in 2023.[1] In 2024, Montavilla Plaza hosted Montavilla Farmers Market's Berry Bash Summer Celebration featuring berry recipe tastings and a beer garden.[36][37] The plaza was also among a dozen performance sites for the eleventh annual Montavilla Jazz Festival.[38] In 2025, the second annual hot dog cookoff called "Hop Dogs" was held at Montavilla Plaza. The competition sees local brewers create custom hot dogs with creative toppings.[39] The site hosted performances in conjunction with the Montavilla Jazz Festival again in 2025.[40]
Spokane Plaza is at the intersection of Spokane Street and 13th Avenue.[8]
Southwest Portland
Pod Plaza, 2025
Plazas in southwest Portland include Ankeny Alley, the Cart Blocks (Park Avenue between Burnside and Oak Streets), Main Street Plaza, Montgomery Street Plaza, Pod Plaza, Pride Plaza, and the Yamhill District Plazas.[1][8]
Ankeny Alley is on Ankeny Street between Second and Third Avenues.[8] In 2023, Oregon Public Broadcasting described the Ankeny Alley Festival as a series of events "organized to rally support for businesses in the neighborhood that have faced declines in revenue as visits from Portlanders and tourists alike have diminished in recent years". The series included a Pride party and a Labor Day celebration with art, food, live entertainment, and music.[41] 25 businesses supported the series launch in 2023.[42] Red roses were painted along the walkway by Baes Fried Chicken employee Erica Litzner and her son.[43] In 2023, a lūʻau-themed party as part of the Ankeny Alley Festival was turned into a fundraiser organized by a group of local Hawaiian businesses to benefit victims of the Hawaii wildfires. The event featured entertainment, food, and Hawaiian music.[44]
Main Street Plaza (or SW Main Street Plaza)[1] is on Main Street between Park Avenue and Broadway.[8]
Montgomery Street Plaza (or SW Montgomery Street Plaza)[1] is on Montgomery Street between Broadway and Sixth Avenue.[8] In 2022, the plaza was a gathering point for the Illuminated Bike Ride, as part of the Portland Winter Light Festival (PWLF).[45]
Pod Plaza is on 10th Avenue at Burnside Street.[8]
The Yamhill District Plazas are on Yamhill Street between First and Third Avenues.[1]
Pride Plaza
Pride Plaza is located on Harvey Milk Street, between Burnside Street and 12th Avenue,[8] along a portion of Stark Street commemorating LGBTQ rights activist Harvey Milk. Pride Plaza was designed "to be a 'safe space' for community gatherings, commerce and public art during the pandemic", according to KOIN.[4] Hardesty met with PBOT officials at Pride Plaza in 2022 to discuss making the Healthy Businesses and Portland Public Street Plaza programs permanent.[6]
The event "Pride on the Plaza" was held at the plaza in 2022 in conjunction with Pride celebrations.[46] In 2023, a rainbow-themed street painting extending to the People's Bike Library of Portland was added to commemorate the street's LGBTQ history.[1] In 2024, Nautilus Deep Sea by Heather Dawn Sparks and Sparks Designs was installed in the plaza after being displayed near Salmon Street Springs at Tom McCall Waterfront Park during the PWLF. The work was moved to Pride Plaza with funding from the Portland Environment Management Office and PBOT.[47][48][49]
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