portland

  • The US State Of Oregon Was Founded As A Racist Utopia

    The US State Of Oregon Was Founded As A Racist Utopia

    When Oregon was granted statehood in 1859, it was the only state in the Union admitted with a constitution that forbade black people from living, working, or owning property there. It was illegal for black people even to move to the state until 1926. Oregon’s founding is part of the forgotten history of racism in…


  • Ace Hotel’s Founder Left Behind Legacy Of Building Neighbourhoods

    Ace Hotel’s Founder Left Behind Legacy Of Building Neighbourhoods

    Last Friday, Ace Hotel founder Alex Calderwood was found dead in London, where the chain had just opened its fifth location. He’s being remembered today as a design visionary, the leader of a cultural phenomenon. But his role was also that of a city-builder, reaching far outside hotel walls to build community and instil a…


  • What Do You Think Is On The Google Barge?

    What Do You Think Is On The Google Barge?

    For almost a week now, the internet’s been trawling the depths of its imagination trying to figure out what the heck Google is doing building barges. Obscure patent documents suggest they’re floating data centres. Local reporters think they’re clandestine Google Glass stores. But nobody really has a clue.