Opinion: The beauty of Eugene is subtle, but we can do better.
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About once a month, I make the drive from my house in Eugene to my home in Portland (which is really Beaverton, though my zip code says otherwise). I do not mind driving, but after three years of making the bleak journey along I-5, it has become a rather exhausting process. On top of that, my home outside of Eugene, though filled with family and always pleasant experiences, lacks the same…what is the word?
Je ne sais quoi.
The French word, meaning “I don’t know what,” describes Eugene’s imperceptible quality. You see, I did not like Eugene for a long time. But over time, something, some variable, factor or facet of this markedly smaller city has nestled its way into my heart. Rather than only looking at the next city I hope to go to someday, I often think about how much I will miss my community and experience in Eugene.
It began during my sophomore year. I lived off campus on its east side. Specifically, I lived in the Skybox, which is a disgrace to Eugene’s subtle beauty. That building can go to ruin for all I care, but I digress. My great appreciation for Eugene began with my first experience on the EmX bus service.
The Lane Transit District’s central and most prominent bus route was my first taste of the brilliance of centrally planned public transport and its benefits. I could get to campus in no time and use the map to go anywhere else without trouble. There was something inexplicably calming about knowing a bus would show up every 7 minutes without fail at the Villard Street stop. The ineffable happiness I experienced from Eugene’s public transport is not indescribable though. Multiple studies have linked satisfaction with life to proximity to public transportation. They find that the presence of “convenient, comfortable, fast rail and bus transport” correlates with health, access to Medicare and healthier food among other benefits.
There’s more to Eugene than its public transportation though. After my second year, my roommates and I moved to the southwest side of campus. While no longer on the EmX route, the benefits of central planning did not end. Even without the bus, the Eugene community is well designed to allow for high walkability. Eugene’s Central Services describes neighborhoods with high walkability as “20-minute neighborhoods,” or those where residents have easy access to everyday destinations like schools, grocery stores and parks without having to use a car. The city recently compiled a 20-minute neighborhood map using the above factors and more to examine the city’s success in providing residents this type of neighborhood. Using the city’s heat map that ranks the composite score from low to high, Eugene scores very high for several blocks around the University and maintains a pretty high score until one reaches West Eugene.
Walkable communities, like public transportation, spur health benefits as well. A study by Jenny Roe, a professor of Architecture at the University of Virginia, confirms this. She found that urban planned communities that prioritized walkability are correlated with reduced depression and lowered chances of dementia and cognitive health decline in the long term.
This beauty I began to appreciate in Eugene over the years, then, is not unfounded. Central planning alongside public transportation investment makes a tangible difference. But Eugene can be better. For one thing, Eugene is mainly accessed by I-5. And the bus stops are extensive but do not cover the entire city. While bikes are more common in Eugene than other cities, cars still dominate the street.
Though it may seem like an odd parallel, Eugene can learn a lot from Barcelona’s city design. While Eugene is centered around UO, Barcelona is centered around the Barcelona Cathedral in a similar urban grid design. Barcelona recently sought to prioritize the city’s pedestrians. Salvador Rueda, who started the Urban Ecology Agency of Barcelona, began a process known as “superblocks” in 2019. These blocks are designed to eliminate motor traffic by devoting the street to pedestrians and bikers. Spain also boasts the most robust network of high-speed railways in Europe. While an Amtrak ticket from Eugene to Portland can cost just as much as a gas tank, Spanish subsidization and investment into high-speed rail has driven demand up for public transportation such that a ticket from Barcelona to Madrid, a journey almost three times as far as Eugene to Portland , would cost less than 10 dollars.
One may point to the Amtrak and that *one* street in downtown Eugene that *sometimes* cars cannot pass through. It is not enough. Just two weeks ago, the Eugene Weekly reported the shortages of bus drivers for LTD and the consequences for public transportation. Bill Bradley, executive board officer for the LTD union, instead vowed that LTD would serve the community “even if it means running their employees a little hard.” We shouldn’t have to. With investment into transportation infrastructure and higher pay for an essential facet of our city, we can support employees and boost demand for the services.
I honestly did not think much of Eugene when I first got here. But those imperceptible qualities that have made me appreciate it are simply byproducts of foresight and improved city planning. It’s just not perfect, yet.
