Portland, OR Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)

Design guidelines are the approval criteria used to review new development and alterations to existing development. They ensure that the development builds on the context of the area, contributes to the public realm and promotes quality and long-term resilience within the Design overlay zone.

B. Design guidelines. Guidelines specific to a design district have been adopted for the areas shown on maps 420-1 through 420-4. Where two of the design districts shown on those maps overlap, both sets of guidelines apply. Projects within the South Auditorium Plan District use the Central City Fundamental Design Guidelines for the Downtown Subdistrict. All other areas within the Design overlay zone or proposals subject to design review use the Portland Citywide Design Guidelines.

The design guidelines are mandatory approval criteria used in design review procedures. Within design districts, the design guidelines may consist of a common set of design guidelines for the whole district and special design guidelines for subdistricts. Where subdistrict guidelines conflict with the district guidelines, the subdistrict guidelines control.