Letter from America

摘要

The news that Adelaide, after decades of frustration, is at last extending its one light rail line echoed strongly in Portland, Oregon, USA, which might well serve as an inspiration to Australian transit leaders looking for an engine for growth in ridership and economic development. Portland, center of a nearly 1.5 million urban conurbation and vying with San Francisco as one of the most beautiful cities on the West Coast, had long prided itself on its livability. City leaders insisted on planned growth (an alien doctrine for more conservative cities in the nation's Sunbelt), amenities such as parks and greenery, and a strong downtown retail district.