THE TIME and opportunity are here for Eugene to stop turning its back on its river. Inspired, because city officials have included the Willamette River in efforts to revitalize the heart of Eugene - and what leaps off those maps is the close proximity between the river and downtown. A greater number of bridges allows for dynamic use of both riverbanks. Significant avenues are not intercepted by the river, but run concurrently with complementing vistas. The impact of the waterfront reaches farther inland.
Cities tend to respond to their potentials more on one side of the river than the other.
The river is a major barrier. Little or no expression of the downtown exists on the riverfront. Clearly, Eugene fits the American profile of largely turning its back on the river, except for the riverfront parks and bikeways. Thirty years ago Gov. Tom McCall cut the ribbon to celebrate closing a freeway that created a major barrier between the Willamette River and downtown Portland. Only recently has Portland committed to a master plan for the entire reach of the river, which will determine the optimum mix of river-related recreation opportunities and create a vision for existing and future parks.