Portland’s Project Illumination: Year-round Christmas Lights for the Win-Win

Dozens of neighborhoods are signing up for year-round Christmas lights wrapped on trees in Portland, Oregon. The lively Christmas lights provide public safety and increased business. Business provide electricity, which can be subsidized by grants. The city wraps trees with LED Christmas lights.

Though the festive season had ended a while ago, Portland’s trees are now adorned with Christmas light displays. This was made possible by the city’s new initiative, backed with $300,000 of potential funding, to illuminate the streets for safety rather than cheer. The concept of bringing LED holiday lights to more than 800 downtown trees was revealed in December as ‘Project Illumination’. What was initially assumed, however, is far exceeded by this program that spreads beyond the river and is being sold to business owners all over as a lasting security feature. Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office has listed twelve additional neighborhoods such as St. Johns and Jade District where the mayor’s Public Environment Management Office (PEMO) may be able to install lights upon securing the necessary funding. PEMO was created earlier in May with an aim towards bringing together various city services that focus on public space cleanliness; which included graffiti removal and rubbish disposal. Now it seeks for $300K to keep up this lighting effort throughout the coming year.

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About Project Illimunation

Portland’s Project Illumination is a city program launched in December 2020 with the intention to improve safety in the streets by wrapping trees downtown in strings of LED holiday-inspired lights. To fund this project, $300,000 has been made available. The project was initially planned to light up only 800 downtown trees, yet it has grown beyond that and is now being extended across many other neighborhoods including St. Johns, Jade District and more. It is being sold to businesses around Portland as a long-term security feature that may become permanent if enough funding can be secured. The Public Environment Management Office (PEMO), created in May for consolidating city services related to public space cleanliness, will take responsibility for putting up these lights if it receives the necessary funds.

About Portland, Oregon

Boasting a population of over 647,805 people, Portland is the largest city in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It lies near Willamette and Columbia rivers and attracts with its diverse culture and outstanding culinary choices as well as an abundance of microbreweries. Portland stands out with its numerous green spaces including the Forest Park, which is one of the biggest metropolitan parks in America; but also for being a popular spot for cyclists due to its bike lanes and bike-friendly roads. The city hosts several universities like Portland State University or Lewis & Clark College and has a progressive, eco-conscious atmosphere.