Downtown Portland's first off-leash dog park opens at PSU

Portland State opened downtown Portland's first dog park May 20, filling an infrastructure gap while creating a community gathering space on its urban campus.

The park opening capped the Placemakers Exchange, a daylong event bringing together students and community leaders to explore how PSU's campus spaces can better serve as gathering places for connection and belonging. The exchange included panel discussions, breakout sessions and campus tours focused on creating safer, more vibrant spaces.

The dog park, located at the corner of SW 11th Ave. and SW Market St., demonstrates those principles in action. The Party with the Pups celebration unveiled the new park's community-selected name: Valhowlla.

The space transforms a previously vacant lot into what university leaders describe as a "front porch" for campus - a place where PSU and its surrounding community can connect daily over something as simple as letting their dogs play.

"Placemaking at Portland State is all about connecting with our downtown neighbors and making our campus a place where people want to spend time," said PSU President Ann Cudd. "PSU and Portland rise together and it's an explicit goal of our strategic plan to help drive Portland's economic, social and cultural resurgence. As a dog owner myself, I appreciate the role that a dog park can play in making our city more vibrant."

Until now, downtown Portland had no gated, off-leash dog parks. Portland State developed the park in response to that citywide gap and a need identified in its 2019 Open Space Plan, which noted off-leash dogs increasingly present around campus. When recent building projects along Market Street created opportunities for new open spaces, PSU worked with the City of Portland to design a park that would serve both campus and community, making PSU home to downtown's only dog park.

The design features separate areas for large and small dogs, a double-gate entry system and landscaped buffers. Materials were chosen for durability and ease of maintenance, with open sandy and gravel surfaces designed for heavy use.

The park demonstrates the kind of responsive, community-facing development explored throughout the Placemakers Exchange where underutilized space is transformed into a resource that benefits everyone.