Portland Switching District Project
2008+
RIGHT: 24th and York, West, 2018. York Street, Northern Pacific Terminal Company, now Portland Terminal Railway Company. Y-05-2018.
Concept and highlights. The Portland Switching District Project is a multi-decade photography project that examines urban change through the disappearing traces of Portland’s historic, urban railway lines. Sometimes known as “switching districts,” these lines were once the primary commercial arteries of the city, forming a lattice upon which the city grew, an example of the architectural power of infrastructure. First photographed from 2007-2009, this project aims to revisit specific sites along the city's former switching districts every ten years. A second iteration of fieldwork and photography was undertaken in 2018. The project seeks to blur the lines between the arts and public history, and includes not only original photographs, but also field notes, research, and archival materials.
For more information, go to pdxswitching.com