‘Resurgence and renewal' – Mayor Wilson sets ambitious agenda for Portland's future

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Resurgence and renewal were key themes in Mayor Keith Wilson's second annual State of the City address, as he hailed the progress Portland has made in the last year and set out an ambitious agenda for the future.

The event was co-hosted by the City of Portland, Portland State University's Institute for Metropolitan Studies, and City Club of Portland. Speaking to a packed lecture hall at Portland State University, Wilson focused on Portland's strength and resilience in the face of economic headwinds and attempts by the Trump administration to take over the city's streets.

He also gave a sneak preview of his Portland's Promise agenda, focused on public health and safety, housing and homelessness, economic activation, and green leadership.

After his address, Wilson was joined onstage by Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof for a conversation about Portland's future.

Wilson cast the restoration of the Thompson Elk on Southwest Main Street as a metaphor for Portland's comeback. "In a triumphant return, the statue has now become a symbol of renewal and the promise of a better future for our city," he said.

Watch Mayor Wilson's speech

See the Portland's Promise agenda

Significant progress

Wilson called out several milestones from the past year:

• Portland now offers a safe shelter bed to anyone who will accept one.
• Portland's new overnight shelters have provided more than 100,000 nights of sleep since Jan 1, 2025. "Every one of those nights was a night that would haveotherwise been spent on the street," he said. "Our work is saving lives."
• The number of tents in downtown Portland has dropped by 75%.
• Portland has helped reunite 375 unsheltered people with family and loved ones in 45 states since the program began last year. "When someone trapped on the streets of Portland is ready to reconnect with loved ones and escape a cycle of suffering, we are here at a moment's notice," he said.
• The Portland Art Museum finished its $140 million renovation.
• Downtown foot traffic is up.
• Homicides and pedestrian deaths are down.
• Business is picking up downtown as workers return and offices are beginning to fill up again.

"Drive down Northeast 33rd Drive and tell me what you see. Do the same on Foster Road, or Sandy Boulevard. There was once so much suffering. Now, there is new hope," Wilson said.

Tough choices ahead

Wilson emphasized tough choices ahead as the City's budget faces significant financial pressure. The latest budget projection forecasts a mismatch of more than $160 million between expenses and revenues in the general fund.

"It's a chasm," he said. "We can be afraid of this number, or we can bravely forge our future. The stakes are so high."

Despite the financial challenges, Wilson said Portland could not afford to retreat. "We cannot afford to return to an era where we found endless death in tents, under tarps, and behind dumpsters, and beneath bridges. We cannot afford to return to an era where businesses failed, and families left."

He said his proposed budget, to be released Monday, would focus on:

• Keeping open all Portland's 31 fire stations.
• Keeping open every community center and every city park. "I will not close a single jewel of our city."
• Keeping every Portland police officer and investigator on the job.

"I refuse to put the brakes on our recovery," Wilson said. "I will not delay our renaissance."

Oregon's Arena

Wilson called for the city to renovate the Moda Center, arguing that a world-class arena is a vital part of the region's economy. "I'm committed to striking the best deal for Portland," he said. "The Moda is one of our economic crown jewels."

"Portland has a choice for this stadium: a world-class facility and a major regional destination, or an aging, half-used facility in a flyover city."

He pointed to numerous benefits to renovating the arena:

• A major sports event can activate more than 7,000 hotel rooms. "That impact is massive," he said.
• Renovation brings family-wage jobs to the neighborhood.
• Economic impact lifts the economy and generates revenue for schools, housing, and preschool subsidies.

Standing up to the White House

"Singling out and persecuting Portland was central to their plan," Mayor Wilson said. "It didn't go so well for them, did it?"

Wilson highlighted Portland's resilience in the face of fiery threats and aggressive tactics by the Trump administration.

"Singling out and persecuting Portland was central to their plan. It didn't go so well for them, did it?" Wilson said, launching one of the most forceful sections of his 30-minute speech.

"When the federal government tried to deploy National Guard troops in Portland, we pushed back in court, and we won decisively," he said. "You won decisively -- because tens of thousands of you showed up and protested with peace and purpose. You showed how a community rising up together, can change the course of a nation."

"When the federal government indiscriminately tear-gassed a neighborhood and a crowd that included children and the elderly, we put them in check."

"When Secretary Noem and her camera crew came to Portland, we showed her - and the nation - what we're made of. She thought she'd get riots and chaos. Instead, she got inflatable animals, naked bike rides, and a public that laughed at her lies and told her to go home."

"Guess what?" Wilson asked the clapping crowd. "Kristi Noem is long gone. Portland is still here, stronger than ever."

Wilson hailed Portland's decisive victory in federal courts, which stopped President Trump from deploying National Guard troops. He also praised the City's work to protect and support immigrants, refugees, and community groups by establishing an immigrant affairs lead in his office.

Public safety

Wilson recognized the Portland police and Chief Bob Day for stepping up to protect the city amid the chaos and challenges imposed by the Trump administration. In particular, he cited crucial court testimony from police commanders that helped Portland prevail in its lawsuit against the federal government over troop deployment. "I am so proud of the Portland Police Bureau."

He rattled off encouraging progress on public safety:

• Arrests for drug trafficking are up 95% in downtown year over year, and up 125% in Old Town alone.
• Downtown, break-ins are down 20%, shoplifting25%, stolen cars are down 31%, and burglary 53% since January this year.
• Stolen cars are down 31% downtown, break-ins down 20%, shoplifting 25%, and burglary 53% since January this year.

"We've had one of the steepest declines in homicides in the nation, thanks to the work of our local officers, community partners, and violence prevention programs," Wilson said.

Portland's Promise

Despite the financial challenges facing the city, Wilson doubled down on launching his ambitious Portland's Promise agenda. "A tough budget year is no excuse - every Portlander deserves a clean, green, safe, affordable, and economically activated city that reflects their values and priorities," he said.

His goals include:

• Cleaning 20,000 miles of streets, sidewalks, and bike lanes.
• Adding 24 investigators for the Portland Police Bureau.
• Creating more green-collar jobs.

"I want everyone in Portland to hold their head up high. This is Portland's promise. It's for everyone. I want all of us to be part of a story of resurgence and renewal, the story of a city in the midst of a new renaissance."

Wilson was introduced by Portland State University president Ann Cudd, who joked that PSU was one of the few local public universities that Wilson didn't attend.

"Portland State wouldn't let me in!" Wilson laughed.

"There's still time," Cudd rejoined.

Following the address, New York Times journalist Nick Kristof posed questions, including some submitted by members of the community. One was: How do we know Portland's recovery is real?

Wilson replied that he and his wife, Katherine, went driving around east Portland recently on one of their frequent outings to pick up trash and talk to people. "We were driving some of the same places we went two years ago. And we had an epiphany: It just looks different. The city is changing. We put this plan into place, we leaned in, and it's working."