Portland’s Downtown Revival Gains Momentum With Crowds Returning but Offices Still Half Empty
PORTLAND, Ore. — A cleaner and safer downtown Portland has seen pedestrian traffic increase by 22% in January.
A Great Post-Pandemic Turnaround
This is a great turnaround for a city that has experienced a steadily declining number of feet visiting businesses and retail establishments in the area since before the 2020 pandemic.
According to the summer report of ‘Portland Clean and Safe,’ overall foot traffic has increased by 5.6% since 2024.
Downtown business owners are thrilled with the increased foot traffic passing their shop windows, making those cash registers sing.
Weekends are particularly lucrative, according to Sydney Meade, the senior director of Downtown Programs for Portland Clean and Safe.
He confirms in steady increase in pedestrian traffic over the last six months.
Worker Traffic In the Area Remains Well Below the National Average
But it’s not all plain sailing for the city.
According to the report, Portland remains well behind peer cities on office worker traffic. Employee numbers are around 50% of Portland’s 2019 levels, well below the 73% national average. As its office recovery continues to stagnate, Portland is now among the lowest major cities in the U.S., only keeping its nose ahead of Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The Busiest Downtown Corridors
The busiest corridors in downtown Portland are:
- SW 10th and Burnside – Powell’s Books, Pearl District, and West End gateway, with 1.2 million feet recorded in June 2025.
- SW Park and Burnside – Cart Blocks food pod and North Park Blocks gateway, with 805,000 feet in June 2025.
- SW 4th and Yamhill – Pioneer Place retail hub, with 1.1 million feet in June 2025.
The report states that organized downtown events have had a positive impact on pedestrian traffic, with the Rose and Blues Festivals, Cinco de Mayo, and Pride being the main generators of more pedestrians visiting downtown Portland.