I am in Portland at the “Towards Carfree Cities” Conference, running from Monday to Thursday this week. I took advantage of this to also arrange the northwest leg of my Nowtopia tour, and so on Monday night I appeared at Powell’s Books on Hawthorne. My trip-mate Russell Howze is also promoting his new book, “Stencil Nation” and we were pitted against each for audience by Powell’s, both presenting on Monday night at 7:30 in stores far apart. Luckily we both drew great audiences (and sold a lot of books).
I enjoyed the appearance enormously. A good discussion followed, lots of pointed questions and interesting thoughts from the 50+ people who jammed in to hear it. Earlier in the day the Carfree Conference started out with a public event of depaving:
It was an inspiring scene, dozens of folks sweating to break up the asphalt and transform a corner from a parking lot into a garden, or at least a space in which a garden will be planted. Here’s a few shots of the energetic crowd, many hands making easier work:
