Right after the Pandemic, there was a lot of hubbub over the concept of 'urban doom loops' as companies shut down and people left offices in major cities to work from home. As people left, offices became more vacant, economies shrunk, and more people moved away. Although predicted to occur across the country, at the time, this trend was associated with what was happening in San Fransisco. Post-pandemic, this worry seemed to be placated, as San Fransisco brought in big tech to revitalize parts of its economies, and many cities recovered from the pandemic recession. One such case, unfortunately, is not Portland. Portland is suffering from population loss, leaving economists predicting an 'urban doom loop' ahead. Although, according to the KGW8 article, Portland's economy is usually responsive to the general economy, this no longer seems to be the case. Portland has been in the news cycles for the past couple of years- usually because of Oregon's 2021 decriminalization of drugs- but generally for its homeless population. It is often pointed to as an example of urban decay in America due to politicized issues like housing and criminal justice reform. As debates occur over how cities should be governed, the question of how to revitalize cities still looms large, and Portland is no different.
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