Nicole Tignor

Happy pride month everyone, I am looking forward to seeing open this month! 🌈🌈🌈🏳️‍🌈

Today at the Burnside Bridge centennial celebration, I saw a clear reminder of what public space can feel like when people are invited back into it.

Families, vendors, community booths, local businesses, public agencies, kids playing, people walking around, and a bridge that has connected Portland for 100 years.

This is why activation matters.

Public safety is not only about what happens after something goes wrong. It is also about what we build before that moment: clean spaces, open businesses, steady foot traffic, good lighting, clear walkways, and reasons for people to show up.

Enforcement matters. Existing laws matter. But enforcement alone will not bring a neighborhood back to life.

When people come into a space, the area feels safer. When the area feels safer, more people come. That is the cycle Portland needs to rebuild.

The Burnside Bridge has connected our city for a century. The next step is making sure the spaces around it are active, welcoming, and worth showing up for.

Woman can get organized and can do so much good, just look at the Portland Woman’s Forum State Scenic Park