This site could just as well be called PublicSpacePortland. Yes bikes and the people who ride them are cool and they can save the world; but at the end of the day, what I really care about most is safe and high-quality public spaces — be they parks, sidewalks, plazas, paths or roads.
In America, for better or for worse, our best public spaces are usually city parks. That’s why I was thrilled to see a news release from the City of Portland this morning about how they’ve eased the permitting rules for mobile vendors in parks — including many surprising locations like along NW Germantown Road in Forest Park. This is a big deal because public space only works if the public shows up, and having food trucks and other types of vendors at parks will encourage people not only to visit parks, but to stay there and hang out a while.
In a statement about the new rules on Tuesday, the City of Portland said they’ve launched a new, “simple and affordable” same-day permit system. “Whether it’s food carts, craft vendors, or mobile services, this streamlined program is designed to support small businesses while energizing public spaces,” the statement reads.
If vendors meet basic business licensing requirements, agree to remove their own waste, and have a self-contained vehicle to operate from, they can pay as little as $5 per day for the privilege of selling their wares at one of 41 parks across the city. With a same-day permit and freedom to choose where they set up (as long as it’s in a designated parking space, more on that below), this program is much easier than previous rules. Before these changes, mobile vending could only be done in certain parts of a park that had been identified by the city and required a permitting process that was more arduous and time-consuming.
The new permit program relies on use of existing parking spaces adjacent to parks and vendors are required to use the city’s “Parking Kitty” app to pay for any spaces they use. That’s an efficient way to make the program work, but it limits which parks are eligible because not all parks have paid parking lots nearby. Peninsula Park in North Portland for example, is left off the list because it doesn’t have a parking lot or adjacent paid parking spaces.
The new rules also specifically forbid human-powered carts like trikes or cargo bikes. “The unit must be a licensed motorized vehicle or a tow-behind trailer that remains connected to a licensed motorized vehicle. Push-carts and non-motorized carts not hitched to a vehicle are not allowed under this program,” the rules read.
When I asked Parks Program Coordinator Danny Dunn why trikes and bikes are not eligible for one of these permits, he said, “That’s a good question. I didn’t think of that.” Dunn then explained that since the vending will take part in parking lots and, “parking lots are specifically meant for motorized vehicles that are licensed to operate on roadways,” that means bikes don’t meet program requirements. “Allowing bikes in these spaces would completely redefine the space and how it’s typically used,” Dunn shared, “It’s a great question though and it’s something I would love the bureau to consider and work on.”
Trikes and smaller, non-motorized vendors can already sell in parks using a different permitting system that allows them to vend on sidewalks in the public right-of-way. Speaking of which, City Councilor Mitch Green wants to cut red tape on that program as well.
This all follows a pilot program launched early last year by the Portland Bureau of Transportation that aimed to bring more food trucks to Central City sidewalks.
There’s clearly momentum in City Hall and the Portland Building for more vendors in public spaces and that should make urbanists and anyone who cares about vibrant public spaces very happy.
— New mobile vending rules
— Mobile vending locations map