The Forgotten Story of Harbor Drive: Portland's Demolished Freeway

[@Leannchops]

I am from New Zealand, and we drove through Seattle as they were underway with the project. I remember saying to my husband, "Why would you built all that built up freeway right next to the water- you can't even see it!" We were very relieved when we saw all the signs detailing the fact it was all coming out.

[@JETZcorp]

It made for a really cool drive. I'm glad I got to drive on the Viaduct once before they tore it out.

[@TheFuster]

Unfortunately it’s getting replaced by an 8 lane road and already got a tunnel replacement that’s hemmoraging money

[@xr6lad]

@@TheFuster maybe you need to grow up and understand that cars are not disappearing and those that pay taxes for them want roads.

[@johngillon6969]

What is cool is when you are on the interstate you also get a gorgeous view of the city and the river and then there is the bridge that crosses the river and you get a birds eye of down town and the east bank. I love portland, but the antifa riots and Black Lives riots totally killed down town businesses and now the beautiful river front park is a home for homeless and drug addicts. i can't go there i get too sad.

[@memathews]

They had to replace the viaduct once they discovered it was deteriorating and subject to collapse in an earthquake similar to the 1989 Loma Prieta quake that pancakes the 280 above the Embarcadero in San Francisco.

[@ygrbooks]

I live in Zürich, Switzerland, where planners in the 50s and 60s wanted to build three freeways through the middle of the city and along the river Limmat, destroying most of the medival old town. Some of their "ideas" were rejected - thank God - but some were not. And the city still suffers from these sins. Hats off to Tom McCall for his vision at a time when practically nobody thought of the environment.

[@johngillon6969]

but sadly the waterfront park once beautiful and wonderful to bike and just walk now is the domain of the homeless and drug addicts. I only go down town once about every three months just to see if there is an improvement, but it just gets worse each week. was a time i would go down town at any hour and just brouse book stores etc. no more all the merchants have moved and the storefronts are covered with plywood and graffiti . BLM riots killed portland. thank you mrs pelosi.

[@memathews]

@@johngillon6969 Interesting, I work across the Willamette River under the Hawthorne Bridge and at least a couple of times a week walk a loop across to Waterfront Park and back along the Esplanade on the east side and I rarely see what you're describing. I guess living and working in the area insulates me from hypersensitivity.

[@johngillon6969]

@@memathews hypersensitivity my ass. I just want to walk down town without having to dodge zombie drug addicts and step over the bums passed out here and there. I want to shop in stores not on line. Are you kidding. you don't remember all the tourists and events that once took place in Pioneer square. The chess players are gone and the square abandoned.

[@awesomeferret]

Yeah, you do seem to live in Switzerland. Here in the USA, claiming that "nobody cared about the environment is the 60s" is pretty silly since it was arguably when the modern environmental movement was born. Remember, American scientists warned about climate change in the 50s. The greenhouse effect has been taught even in Christian schools for a long time. I don't think you're aware of how relatively progressive the USA is when it comes to environmentalism.

[@ScarceCastle2]

@@awesomeferret when did all those urban freeways in the US get built again? y'know the ones more aligned to the original topic, which the OP actually brought up? There's no need to be all high and mighty - regardless of how *accurate* your high horse is. I lived in Zurich for a few years as well, and I know the projects he's referring to and the scars they already left on the city; it would've been a nightmare had those freeways been built. We can all be happy when we see other cities also avoid nightmares in their own right. Random tangent: would be curious to know their take on the U-Bahn proposal in the 70s

[@travholiday1241]

Robert Moses was a national tragedy, He also proposed an expressway edging the French Quarter at the Mississippi, The people of New Orleans protested and stopped it

[@ClockworksOfGL]

Moses was a piece of work, the guy never learned to drive but insisted highways were the only way to go. He was from New Haven, CT, never particularly cared for NYC (New Haven is the home of Yale, then a sophisticated, beautiful city), but he basically ended up running New York without ever being elected. He only “fell” when he tried to go head-to-head against the Rockefeller brothers, and they stripped him of his political power (Nelson was governor) and financial power (David ran Chase Bank).

[@anemoneyas]

Truly one of the worst figures in American history

[@parkersackewitz6266]

I never knew that he didn’t even know how to drive (then again he wasn’t the only one in NY who didn’t/doesn’t) I did know that he never had any education in urban planning or road development.

[@anemoneyas]

@@parkersackewitz6266 I'm guessing due to his wealth and power he had people to drive him around. Car-dependant infrastructure is appealing if you're an antisocial weirdo who hates public spaces and you have people at your beck and call to chauffeur you around and do your errands for you.

[@tonysoviet3692]

Projects like this should never hire outsider. Robert Moses is only one of the many horrible "professionals", just look at the people who designed Brasilia or planned cities in India. They have no knowledge, connection, or any reason to care about the actual communities in these projects.

[@NSHorseheadSD70]

I just spent 40 minutes watching a video about a freeway in a city I've never been to and will probably never visit. That's how good your narration and presentation is. I'm loved your ACI video and SPSF merger video. I'm looking forward to more of your work!

[@ScabiousGarde]

Come visit! Didn't those pictures look lovely? We have our problems sometimes, but it's a great city to visit! Maybe not this summer, it seems like it'll never actually warm up here

[@angelsaltamontes7336]

Best not to visit. Peter's videos are terrific, showing what can no longer be visited, in many cases for being gone but in many others for being thoroughly dangerous.

[@ScabiousGarde]

@@angelsaltamontes7336 Portland isn't fucking Juarez, it's a great city to visit, the level of danger is negligible

[@sock2828]

@@angelsaltamontes7336 Ontario, Oregon has a higher rate of violent crime than Portland does, and Oregon is the 12th safest state in the U.S. overall. In the last two years there has been more violent crime than usual in most of the state, but we still have much less than the vast majority of the country and the violence rate is showing signs of going down now.

[@memathews]

Definitely come visit in early May for the city blossoms on the waterfront, or June for the Rose Festiva, or July and August to ski the mountain and enjoy a beach sunset in one day, each an hour drive from Portland.

[@garyruss3529]

We need another Tom McCall. The concept of all beachfronts & navigable waterways being accessible is so foreign to those outside of Oregon. Many places you cannot even see the waterfronts because of all the development & private ownership. That & urban growth boundaries has made Oregon a wonderful state. Sadly there are still many environmental issues that need to be addressed.

[@Tser]

I grew up here, and the idea that people can own and fence off parts of their beaches just feels wrong. If Tom McCall hadn't been the charismatic person he was with his understanding of theater, our own beach bill probably wouldn't have passed, and it seems like my entire experience of the coast would be different than the one I've had.

[@jeffholland7385]

I agree Gary... Tom McCall was our last great Governor. I am fortunate to have witnessed his leadership of Oregon first hand!

[@ryanlaws6182]

Agreed this should be changing soon enough with everyone wanting more green EVERYTHING. But i gotta say here in Louisville, ky we just have a couple short strips on the water front, very nice to go to during events. But its hardly a waterfront compared to Portlands

[@trentspears9118]

That has led to a strange tradition of fishing/launching kayaks under public bridges in Texas, as nearly all land accessing rivers is privately owned.

[@anthonybanchero3072]

Wished Seattle had followed up the cancellation of the Thompson Expressway with something like MAX. Also wished revival of Metro Route 99 had been a condition of the demolition of the viaduct. The surface was boulevard was needed to access the interchange of SR305, also known as Colman Dock. Since Washington State Ferries is considered an extension of the state highway system, the routes are given a highway designation, usually the highway that feeds the dock.

[@brycewipper788]

As a Portland native, it is fascinating to learn more about our cities infrastructure history. I would love to see you cover the history of I-205. Great video!

[@alcoholic2412]

I 205 isn't that old. 1970's. The bridge opened in '82. Before that, getting to the airport from the west side was a real pain in the ass. You had to take Columbia, Lombard or Marine Drive.

[@peterdibble]

The history of I-205 could easily be its own video! From the little I've read about it, the local controversy was a force to be reckoned with throughout the entire planning and construction process.

[@adiuntesserande6893]

The odd numbering on I-84 would also be a great tale to tell. It's due to the fact that I-84 is *still*, technically, in a 'temporary' location....

[@BlankBrain]

@@alcoholic2412 I remember taking Barbur to Powell to 82nd to get to the Airport. My dad took business trips in the early '60s before we had two cars.

[@B0Boman]

@@peterdibble How many highways resulted in a city's neighborhood seceding to form their own city just to avoid being demolished?

[@AndrewPlato]

This was a refreshingly engaging documentary. Fascinating topic, excellent production.

[@tonyallen6510]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@Usapyon_0719]

as a native Oregonian and my husband a native to portland, we cannot thank you enough for both this and the other video you made about the unbuilt freeways. your videos are some of the best ive seen, giving so much interesting information about the cities past . please i hope you will keep making more videos about the history and many stories about portland and oregon in general . :) . again just amazing videos, we were captivated the whole time and bummed when it was over :) .

[@peterdibble]

I appreciate the kind words, thank you! Definitely planning to explore more Oregon history in future videos.

[@seanc6128]

Going down that ramp into Waterfront park on a bicycle is a weird feeling, using this massive concrete structure that abruptly ends in a grassy park.

[@StanleyKewbeb1]

There's so many great shots of downtown Portland at various times-- I have to keep pausing it to admire them. Thx for posting.

[@erikziak1249]

I am truly amazed by the quality of this video. Research, narration, graphics, music. This it really a top quality documentary. Thank you. The effort, time and love put into this was certainly immense.

[@LR2894h]

I agree. Also, I think Peter Dibble and other KZbin historians should list their sources/add footnotes and list their credentials. Otherwise, students and other researchers cannot reference this video.

[@Deeplycloseted435]

Never been to Portland, but I’m high, and really enjoying this.

[@chrisclements1169]

You're perfect for Portland.

[@OrganicJP1]

😂😂

[@Artuchu]

Woah- Portland resident for my entire life, never heard of this and it answers some of the questions I had about Portland-

[@ganginfr4923]

everything about this is so polished and informative. absolutely cannot wait for more from you!! i like how you label changes in topic as "detours" it's funny

[@peterdibble]

Hey thanks a lot, more is on the way!

[@jordanwright9433]

Love your channel. I'm not from the US but have a real interest in American infrastructure and Freeway removals. Keep up the good work!

[@peterdibble]

Thanks a lot, Jordan! There are so many interesting and obscure stories out there that are worth telling.

[@scottlarson1548]

Another great thing about videos like this is when I travel to Europe, I can point people to them so they'll actually believe what's happening here.

[@NS-xo6qe]

We need more state governors like Tom McCall.

[@Dannyedelman4231]

AMEN!!! he commuted Roy deautremonts sentence so he could be a free man before he passed away and roy didn't really want to murder anyone at all

[@sweendawg7274]

We need more governers like kate brown

[@maxdoubled4800]

​@@sweendawg7274na

[@paulfernandez1486]

I am a Washington state resident who just discovered your channel and I can’t get enough! Keep it up! Learned so much about the PNW history

[@jasonphillips4336]

Very nice doc! I'm a Portland native and hadn't realized all of the complex stubs and weird bits & pieces left over were part of something I wasn't even aware of. God bless Tom McCall for his work. I can't imagine where we'd be if he hadn't done the hard work of getting these things implemented. Thanks so much for your work revealing the heroes and villians of our beautiful city.

[@urbanrallyracer]

Awesome video! Being a truck driver that drives through & delivers within Portland, I always assumed I-405 was the original pathway of I-5. I’ve driven along the waterfront & never even knew it used to be home to the original highway. Keeps up the great videos! Thanks!

[@PhillBogart]

With plans to cap portions of I-5, I-405 is a prime candidate for the same treatment. On another note, there was also a viaduct across the bay from SF called the Cypress Freeway in Oakland, but sadly, its fate was much more traumatic as Mother Nature brought it down in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake killing 42 when it collapsed.

[@memathews]

As a new driver, driving down Harbor Drive past the Journal Building was an exercise in terror with seemingly inches between the car mirror and the building. I was never so happy as when they closed that highway and demolished that building. I never knew the Journal Building was the produce market in an earlier time. Great video, you told a really good story about old Portland.

[@stroebezine8008]

Wow Peter. This is a fantastic documentary. I first visited to Portland in 1959 and moved here in 1969. In 1959 the trip from Salem north through Portland was a nightmare that seemed like it took the better of a day. My dad, a Montana boy was a nervous wreck. We had to stay the night in Vancouver to be able to face the trip east on the old Evergreen Highway. This video brought back lots of good memories as to the progress Portland made in transition to and away from the Harbor freeway. Thanks for all the good work

[@dhulbert855]

Superb documentary! I've lived here for four decades now, and I've only had a vague notion that there was a Harbor Dr once where the fabulous waterfront park has been since I moved here. I wasn't aware Tom McCall was a newsman before getting into politics. What an amazing visionary! The state owes him a deep debt of gratitude!

[@mackpines]

As someone who lives in the Portland area, I'd heard of Harbor Drive long before this video was made but I never knew how much more there was of its history. I love learning about the history of roads and highways especially here in the Pacific Northwest.

[@11FOXTROT]

Your channel is an amazing contribution to Oregon history. It would be awesome to see you do a story about the history of Fred Meyers. You are suited to do this in a great way!

[@peterdibble]

Thanks! The biography on Fred Meyer is a great read, there's definitely a good story there. I don't know whether I'll make a video on it, but it has crossed my mind more than once.

[@avenueb]

I didnt realize Robert Moses did damage on the west coast too

[@cheef825]

He has his influence all over the us, even if he didn't design the freeways they were definitely inspired by him. I5 cuts through Seattle in a really similar way

[@edwardmiessner6502]

He also did damage on the Gulf Coast. He recommended the Crescent City Connection, Pontchartrain Expressway, and an unbuilt Riverfront Expressway. The last would have blighted the French Quarter, utterly.

[@UrbanRail]

Ironically Moses never drove a car

[@twothreebravo]

He greatly influenced work in Denver, CO for an urban highway system that led to great swaths of buildings being taken down in the 50s and 60s. These downtown highways never emerged as the interstate was kept on the edges of the urban center after a great deal of pushback (Still ruining residential neighborhoods though). This led to the empty land turning into parking lots downtown and flight of businesses and residents during the 70s. The short oil boom of the 80s brought some high rises that filled in some of these empty lots in one section of Downtown but the rest was still blighted and wretched. In the mid-90s some genius built a baseball stadium in that blighted section right before the biggest real estate boom in the city's history and now you can't squat in an alley for less than $500k. None of that would have been possible with those urban highways.

[@billolsen4360]

@@twothreebravo I came to work out of college in downtown Denver in 1978. All those great old buildings we lost from the Victorian Era just to have lots of parking lots sure kept most of downtown pretty pathetic until you got to Larimer Square or Broadway. Recall Luby Chevrolet was a big employer there but had moved to Lakewood by the early 70's. There wasn't even a movie theater downtown for about 25 years and no apartments except Brooks Towers.

[@jesseyang8172]

This is fascinating history. Now I wish every US city/state could have their own Tom McCall!

[@billolsen4360]

A politician who thinks for himself? Not many of those around any longer.

[@drivingsports]

That finally explains why I've accidentally ended up in Downtown Portland multiple times while trying to stay on I-5 going north through the city. It's the ghost of the original terminus along Harbor Drive!

[@davidparnell732]

This is a fantastic documentary. Growing up in Oregon, this really was special. Tom Mccall was my grandfathers close friend. Every time that I ever drove through Portland I always wondered about the history of the waterfront.

[@njaneardude]

Never been to Oregon, not even from the West coast. Watching this 2:00 in the morning in South Sudan and loving it.

[@Jits_Monster]

The hero in all of this was Gov. McCall. A man with a purpose and integrity. Not a lifelong, bought and paid for politician, but a person with a vision that brought Oregonians together.

[@scottwhite2757]

Yes very true..

[@breakingborders]

Fantastic documentary! I love the pacing, music, animation, archival footage and all the details. We are lucky on the west coast that we have moved away from urban freeways. I just drove across the country. In Texas and Florida they were constructing freeways like crazy. I had never heard of Tom McCall before. Seems like he was ahead of his time and made a big, positive impact.

[@stephenpowstinger733]

He was ahead of his time but I am sure their were good arguments against his ideas, mainly making waste of a lot expensive road building.

[@kenschmidt6522]

The center span of the Freemont was floated down the river and lifted into place over many hours. It was the heaviest lift ever, a great engineering feat.

[@memathews]

I do remember watching the Fremont center spam lifted into place they used long screws to pull it up into place, a fascinating process. There's a timelapse video that the local TV stations show every once in a while.

[@Tacofreak]

This is so neat! I always wondered why the road was so strange at the southern most part of the park. It always felt off when I looked at it. It makes sense that it's the last remanence of that freeway!

[@davidgjam7600]

I'd love to see a video about Swan Island's forgotten airport! This is a great channel

[@peterdibble]

Interesting! I'll read up on it.

[@Name-vu1kn]

@@peterdibble to help point you in the right direction the former airport is now Vigor Shipyard.

[@memathews]

Yes, the Swan Island airport is just one of the aviation stories around Portland. Bernard's Beaverton Airport was a hub of early airplane innovation, now buried under the Beaverton Mall/Cedar Hills Crossing shopping area (the local Mcmenamin's has the photos). Also, Pearson's Field across the Columbia is still in operation, ones of the two longest operating air fields in the U.S. A flight endurance record was set there in 1905 from the Lewis & Clark Expedition in NW Portland, it was also the first airmail delivery. Later the first non-stop transcontinental flight took off here, and a stopping point on the first round-the-world flight, and the first non-stop trans-polar flight. Lots of aviation history here.

[@emerconghaile4902]

I can't express how satisfied I am with your choice of music. A bad soundtrack can seriously ruin an otherwise amazing documentary for me.

[@guym6093]

WOW So much information. This really connected the dots for the Portland area and the water front park. I can tell this took a lot of work and research. Thank you for the history lesson.

[@tomp1612]

Great video, and it explains why I recall taking different routes when travelling through Portland as a kid in the 60's and early 70's

[@KOZMOGRAFX]

Peter, your Portland videos made for an unexpected but fascinating rabbit hole today!

[@larote]

Great video! I’m not from, nor have I ever been in Portland, but the last 40 minutes just flew by! Really interesting history told beautifully. Looking forward to future videos.

[@OregonBuildingRailfan]

If it wasn't for this video, I wouldn't of known any of this. Glad you are taking the time to make these. Keep it up!

[@evanpatten4101]

Same and I grew up here.

[@andywmoe]

Peter, just want to thank you for the time and effort you’ve put into these videos. As a Portland resident, I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to learn more about the history of this city and you’ve done a fantastic job doing so. Your attention to detail and context is not unnoticed and I can’t wait to watch any future videos you might make. - Andy

[@peterdibble]

Thank you for the kind words, Andy! It's encouraging to know that some people still appreciate Portland and its rich history.

[@JU5TINPDX]

After reading the amazing biography of Rober Moses called “The Power Broker”, I would always think, as I drove on I-405, this is must have been inspired by what Moses was doing in NYC… but until now I never knew it was actually conceived by the man himself. While it pales in comparison to something like the Cross Bronx Expressway (CBE), I’m sure that I-405 was a hugely disruptive project. Anyone interested in this video should read “The Power Broker”, to appreciate the incredible impact that one man had on the physical structure of American life. Thank you for this video, and the wonderful history.

[@peterdibble]

I've seen this book recommended by a few people and would like to read it myself!

[@justanotheryoutubechannel]

This was one incredible video, I loved the ending, it felt so hopeful but slightly sad, like a big change that’s scary to do but eventually will work out for the better. The music choice was incredible, it got me feeling a bit emotional for a road I didn’t know existed in a city I’ve never been to in a country on the other side of the planet. I’m glad I found your channel, I’m subscribing and looking forward to seeing what’s next!

[@peterdibble]

Thanks a lot!

[@lawfulneptune14]

As a lifelong Portland resident who wanted to learn more about how we destroyed parts of our city for freeways, this was such ana amazing video. Great work! I would love to see more videos on Portland!!

[@robertaverill936]

Extremely enjoyable..the detail and clear storytelling are a pleasure to watch..thank you..

[@chrisrounds1242]

Being a Spokane native, it is surprising Portland was getting rid of its freeway. Spokane was getting rid of its railway viaduct to transform it into an urban park after Expo 74 concluded. I found it fascinating Riverfront park in Spokane and Waterfront park in Portland were both completed in 1978, which both cities reclaim its rivers. Thanks for the documentary.

[@maxi-me]

I don't think that's a coincidence. Civic "fashion trend" is a real thing. In the southeast in the 60s every midsize city had to get its own Civic Center. These were usually accompanied by a "pedestrian mall" where several blocks of the town's main street were closed off to vehicular traffic. It had mostly a detrimental effect on commerce as it became a panhandler playground. All but a few of these roads were opened back up by 2000 and civic centers replaced by Memorial Auditoriums and the like. Also around 2000, most of these cities suddenly started reviving their old Farmer's Market, warehouse district, fisherman's wharf or whatever dilapidated industrial real estate was available for renovation into kitsch retai.

[@poopins]

Thank you for this great documentary! As a native, lifelong Portlander, I’ve grown up with stories about Harbor Drive & Robert Moses’ grand freeway plans, so it’s very interesting to get more of a back story!

[@h.p.oliver8666]

Well researched, well written, and well produced. This is another great example of what a historical documentary should be. Thanks!

[@ahirschfeld1974]

As a frequent past visitor and now resident of Portland these videos were most fascinating and now I know the story of some of these ramp stubs to nowhere on the freeways around town.

[@BrokebackBob]

There are many words that can be used to describe this important historical retrospective of Portland. Superb. Professional. Interesting. Engaging. Educating. Organized. And on and on. I am so impressed with the quality of this video and like many, knew nothing of the Harbor Drive saga. Peter you are incredibly talented and I wish you the very best in all your endeavors.

[@joecalobeer6396]

That’s the first time I’ve heard I-405 called the Stadium Freeway! Fascinating history!!! I live in the Rose City and enjoyed every moment learning how the infrastructure changed over the years. The flyover bridge from southbound I-5 to eastbound I-84 amazes me! Sometimes I wonder as I drive over these bridges... what would it be like driving on these bridges if an earthquake happened?

[@bobwellman9717]

I guess that depends on the intensity. I was travelling from one job to another years ago, and on arrival to the next job, I overheard people talking about an earthquake that I was not aware of. After questioning them, they asked me how it was possible that I was unaware. "Where were you?", they asked. I told them where I came from and they said "No wonder". I was on elevated freeways and had just came off a 405 exit..

[@TTT69304]

I live in Portland and mostly bike wherever I go so the waterfront is a place I pass through frequently. I'm a much bigger fan of the current infrastructure. It's so cool to see the history like this! Thank you!

[@carpo719]

Thank you for this, it was a wonderful documentary. I've lived in the Portland area my whole life and I never knew about this freeway. I have a plaque that I obtained decades ago which was a gift from the governor of Hokkaido Japan to Tom mccall, dated from 1968. He was a truly well respected man, and I suppose today people would just call him a hippie. Trying to protect nature and everything. How dare he. 😀 I am extremely grateful to have Waterfront Park when I go to portland. Even in spite of all the trash and homeless camps

[@scottpetterson2175]

Great story. Driven down Front Street many times and had no idea how the park came to be. Glad I watched this documentary.

[@cartwhisperer]

Great video. I’ve lived in Oregon longer than any place in my life and I always enjoy learning the history. Very informative and beautiful videography.

[@lauralou542]

I'm a native Portlander and only knew small pieces of this. THANK YOU!!

[@mwsoverdick]

This video is fantastic! Please keep making more like it, you've got great talent. Portland has plenty of material I'm sure!

[@tthappyrock368]

Beautifully done! I've often wondered about the abandoned stubs. Thank you for sharing this history! There's been talk in recent years about covering I-405 over and about making other changes to the freeway system along the east side of the Willamette River to further beautify our city. We also face a mounting pressure for more infrastructure due to greatly increased population.

[@transcondriver]

Me too about those stubs. I also wonder if there's any plans to use them for anything else in the future.

[@NS-xo6qe]

Cities should invest heavily in metro trains and light rail rather than freeways. Properly designed public transport is a better solution in almost every situation.

[@tthappyrock368]

@@NS-xo6qe yes, and that is something Portland has been at the forefront of for many years. As our population has increased dramatically over the last ten years, there is growing pressure both for improved public transportation and an updated highway system. Particularly bad, is highway 217 on the west side. It was obsolete by the time it was built in the 1970s. Two lanes only over much of its length. The west side lacks grided street layout and presents a nightmare of navigational obstacles. Through streets are very limited which impacts all vehicles. Windy roads limit the bus system. Subdivision construction continues with the idea of suburban living, cookie cutter homes with postage stamp yards, and dangerous spaghettis of cul-de-sac tree street systems with limited egress and ingress.

[@NS-xo6qe]

@@tthappyrock368 European cities have tiny winding streets and they still manage to run all sorts of light rail systems through them, if there's a will there's a way

[@bassdrumflextime1253]

@@NS-xo6qe I like freewayssssss

[@simonmacarthur6808]

I researched this topic back in 2016 for an AS class in Switzerland. Thanks for reminding me.....

[@billolsen4360]

Nice work! Can't imagine what you had to go through to dig up all these old photos and videos/films. Can guess that it's easy to find historical images for a very large city like LA or Seattle, but not so Portland.

[@jordansean18]

My dad clued me in to this park's history as a kid, and still to this day I can't unsee the fact that there's a whole missing highway!

[@andrewmedlar214]

I am in absolute awe at how great your channel is. Watching this video is like reading "The Power Broker" except about places I know intimately as a Portlander with all the benefits that the video medium allow. Truly so grateful that you made this channel and I found it!

[@danielsloan]

Thank you so much for this incredibly detailed history of Harbor Drive and Portland in general. It's amazing how much we take for granted today as just the way things always have been, when in fact they're the way our predecessors chose.

[@markusallport1276]

What a great history lesson. Told with facts and insight none of us born during and after the 60's would ever have known better.

[@kumaclimber]

it's so cool to learn what all the offramp stubs were that I see every day on my commute. I'm absolutely fascinated and I totally love these videos. Keep up the amazing work.

[@rozzville]

Great documentary. I'm a Seattle native and I witnessed our Viaduct being torn down. It's interesting to compare the two projects, both here and in Portland. I never knew of this freeway.

[@davidsabin4042]

This was a very interesting and informative documentary. I always wondered why there was ramp extension when you head south on I5 and enter the I84 bridge and now I know. And knowing is half the battle. ; )

[@whojustsaidthat]

This was designed and produced beautifully. Form AND function at play. Good work, Peter!

[@sociallysatanic]

oh my god please make more videos like this one and the one you did about forgotten portland freeways. i love hearing history about the city and you're doing a great job with these. great music choices too i realize now that i have spent a LOT of time on the remaining portion of Harbor Drive as i went to practice for the Rose Festival's dragon boat races. knowing its history makes me even more endeared to the area.

[@joeottsoulbikes415]

When I lived in Portland I loved the Water Front Park!! In the summer, after work, I would meet the Cyclepalooza group every Tuesday and Thursday night at 6pm for a bike ride around the city in a group averaging 30 plus people. On Saturdays I would ride my bike downtown with a small inflatable pillow, a big towel, and my backpack. I would go to the bookstore, get lunch at one of the foodtrucks and ride over to the park. I would sit under a tree, eat lunch, read some of my new book and take a nap. The park always has people playing music, juggling, flying kites, skateboarding, roller skating, cycling around, shuffleboard, playing chess, talking and more. They have concerts, an open air arts & crafts pavilion and a farmers market in the park. They have a big event every year where the Navy will send a mid sized ship, sometimes a small destroyer or submarine come and dock at the park. The ships are always ones that are interesting and not super top secret so the crew can give limited tours of the ship. The fire department has a boat facility just down river and they have a fire boat come up and do circles in the middle of the river. It will play music over the loud speaker while it sprays water way way up in the air creating a dancing water fountain. Sometimes on really hot days they point a water hose up so that it drops water on just a bit of the park and you can go stand under it to cool off. Kids love playing in it along with the kids Salmon Street Prings water feature shooting water up timed to music that is right by where the fireboat sprays water. The park is the best place to watch the 4th of July and New Years fireworks shows. There is an old steamer ship that has been made into the Maritime Museum. Water Front Park is one of the best parks out of many cities I have visited or lived in that keeps downtown relevant. At the north end at Steel Bridge and south Morrison Bridge are connections to bike paths to stay on the West Side or cross the bridges and go to the East side of Portland. On the first Saturday of the month after my nap I would ride over Steel Bridge along the bike path, witch floats on the river for a while, to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) to see the real attack submarine in the river and tour the museum. On Sundays I would skip the bookstore & nap, just eat lunch in the park with my mountain bike and ride up into the hills on the west side for the mountain bike trails. Sooooo much to do in Portland that can center around the park.

[@RedonRust]

This was a really well done video. I visited Portland a few years back and walked around in the park, had no idea about the history. The story of Tom McCall is also interesting, He was ahead of his time. We need more like him.

[@pessimisticvideographer5039]

This is an incredibly well done video - I look forward to many more

[@Detrinova]

Top notch video. Better than all the old vhs documentaries they forced me to watch in school.

[@maxwellmoore5705]

How does this video not have more views and your channel not have more subscribers? I know some day you'll blow up. Keep up the amazing work!

[@imkirbo3094]

I can't believe this channel only has 3 videos, I was expecting hundreds. Brilliant work on all three, really really good content. Keep it up man!

[@porlando12]

These Portland history episodes are absolutely brilliant! I hope this channel starts to blow up soon! Keep 'em coming!

[@jacobgoff5032]

Dude your video is amazing! great work!!

[@peterdibble]

Thanks very much!

[@paulspice4717]

Dear Mr. Dibble, thank you for wonderful history videos of the period 1950 to 2000, a period mostly ignored by other historians. Urban Development and environmental awareness marked this period and contains valuable lessons for us adults and especially children for whom this period is "ancient history". Your videos made me want to visit Portland!

[@nickjaynes]

I am a Portland native and I'd never heard of Harbor Drive. Great little film. Thanks for making it!

[@kdigiacomo]

Loved this, I learned a lot and I grew up in Beaverton. I'm 48 and I've asked people quite a bit older than me why Portland has odd things about it and they don't even know. Glad I know now, too bad I don't go there anymore and I still live in Beaverton. My previous comment explains why. **Appreciate you making this.

[@ionageman]

“Impossible things have been done before” .. great doco

[@urielnnn2442]

This is truly an incredibly made documentary and can enthrall anyone even if they aren’t from Portland. It’s cool to see any well made videos like this about oregon

[@inquizition9672]

If only Tom McCall could see his park today. Homeless people, drug addicts, and excrement living under and around the bridges. It's such a sad state Portland is now in thanks to those in office in the recent past. Excellent content, by the way. I was fascinated with the freeway project that I never got to see first hand, and I never could find much information about it online. Thank you for this upload! EDIT: I would be so hyped if you put out a video of the history of Northwest Portland, from its industrial history and railroad hub to its new life as the hip and chic Pearl District.

[@denjhill]

Harbor Drive. Remember it well and loved it. Straight shot to that portion of downtown I needed to go. I do recall one dark day back in the '60's when the Willamette River flooded. The water was just cresting the seawall and from a car you were looking eye to eye with it. No more seawall. I hope the engineers have come up with some other protection for the city.

[@Matthew-ju3nk]

I lived in Portland for over 10 years and this is a piece of history that I had no idea about. Thank you for this wonderful documentary and for bringing back many fond memories.

[@redfishgreyfish4842]

Truly top notch effort. You answered questions that have been with me since I was a teenager (1970s) first traveling through Portland ... those abandoned sections of Harbor Drive ... I always wondered what they were for: future expansion? Quite the opposite. Thank you!

[@williamlloyd3769]

Not sure why KZbin AI algorithm presented your video to me but I’m glad I clicked on it. I’m a subscriber now! Thanks for taking time to produce video. Glad Portland was able to reuse concrete as a waterfront park! Very professional. Next time I go to Oregon to see a USC game I’ll see if I can drop by and checkout the area and USS Oregon memorial.

[@midorihafu]

Peter, thanks for your well-researched videos. I was born and raised in Portland and remember many of the changes that took place back then and after I left. I think it was partly based on the influence of that kind of forward-thinking consciousness that made me join citizen urban-beautification groups in my present location.

[@claudiafranzino1510]

Thank you! I’ve always wondered how this phenomenal transformation actually happened and now I know. Very well done.

[@mckinleymorganfield8494]

From the moment I dropped off my son at Portland State University I was in love with the waterfront. One can only hope that the current crop of politicians can even come close to the foresight of Tom McCall. What a great visionary.

[@michaelquattromani2430]

I've lived in Portland all my life and I don't know how I hadn't heard of Harbor Drive. This was captivating and so professional. Blown away

[@Sneddz1]

I just watched a 40min video about a demolished freeway on the other side of the world and was both entertained and educated at the same time. I enjoy that you spend time to show the viewer what's left as for me that is the most interesting. Nice work.

[@leannemeng228]

I live in Portland all my life…23 years and had no idea of this. I’m 24 currently. Thanks for sharing

[@ambert.3792]

loved the detour up here to the alaskan way viaduct. i had mixed feelings about its demolition, but its quite nice now thqt its gone.

[@margaroacevedo8781]

How the irony, several days ago I saw a news report on a movement of several cities considering the elimination highways to rebuild there neighborhoods. Great informative vid, enjoyed watching it.

[@Rosarium2007]

I know that there is even a movement Dallas, Texas, to get rid of their South Central Expressway and they have already built a park over the Woodall Rogers Freeway on the northside of their downtown.

[@radudeATL]

I can't WAIT to see your channel blow up in subscribers and views. These videos are so well done. Keep up the good work!

[@MakeSewingStudio]

This is such a well done documentary. I was born in Portland in 1965 so all those big changes happened before I was old enough to drive. Oregon could use another Tom McCall. He loved Oregon and it showed. My dad was a hang glider and he flew over the Fremont Bridge soon after it opened. I'd love to find the news footage. A report on the 205 would be great. We used to have to take 82nd from our home in Montavilla down to Milwaukie for my mom's weekly bowling league (she's 80 and still bowls weekly). My aunt and uncle had their house demolished to make room for the 205 (I think they were well compensated). Thank you for this great show! Really wonderful pictures and quotes (I never knew why Glenn Jackson was worth naming the bridge after, but I remember someone drove off the bridge and died in the first week it was opened).

[@bound4sunshine]

This was a wonderful story and you told it so well! I didn't know so many of the events that led up to what we have now in Portland. Amazing history!

[@dms555]

Fantastic video. Thank you for bringing this piece of Portland’s history to light.

[@GH-oi2jf]

I like that shot of the Journal building you used for displaying your name. I didn’t live in Portland, but that was one building I knew because I was an Oregon Journal carrier.