Can San Diego grab Portland’s Economic Dividend?

Tom Scott, Executive Director of the San Diego Housing Federation, sent us this story on Portland’s Economic Dividend. The story focuses on a study done by economist Joe Cortright on how Portland’s environmentally friendly policies have paid off in a big way.

Cortright estimates that the miles not traveled by an automobile result in an out-of-pocket savings of $1.1 billion dollars per year for Portlanders. Portland’s land use patterns and commitment to environmentally sound policies have not only attracted new residents to the region but also businesses, thus multiplying the economic benefit that many cities struggle to attain.

If the city of San Diego took some lessons from Portland and pushed to create more infrastructure catering to bicyclists and pedestrians and public transit users, would there be a need to even hunt for parking structures in the city?

As we’ve mentioned in the past, San Diego has the most perfect weather all year round. Weather that  cities like Portland and even Amsterdam envy. This weather makes it absolutely perfect to ride a bicycle every single day. So San Diego, what’s keeping you off a bicycle?