The City of John Day and Grant County have experienced several socioeconomic problems including population loss and the highest unemployment rate in Oregon. The City led by City Manager, Nick Green, worked with Walker Macy to develop a strategy to reverse the pattern of population and economic decline. The City’s strategy includes an understanding of and sensitivity to John Day’s traditional values and culture, and expresses a desire to grow in a balanced way to preserve the rural lifestyle and quality of life. The strategy, termed the “Innovation Gateway Project” also acknowledges the community’s desire to have access to the area’s wide range of regional recreational activities.
The study area encompasses 90 acres of land along the John Day River and adjacent floodplain areas which have been heavily impacted by past and current land uses. The project proposes to restore the river‘s functions, including steelhead habitat restoration, and recreational access for bird watching, fishing, swimming and floating, and trails. Seeking solutions that improve the environment, create jobs, and increase food security, the City led the development of state-of-the-art commercial hydroponic greenhouses alongside the riverfront, indoor and outdoor botanical gardens, and a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant, which will provide clean irrigation water. Other proposed improvements include a new hotel, land rezoned for new housing and office space, and a system of interconnected parks. This sweeping set of initiatives will build capacity for long-term resilience and reveals the unique opportunities for place-based planning in rural communities.
Inter-Fluve