Reimagine the River
More than 300 people gathered in person and online to join 1803 Fund, Ecotrust, and Willamette Falls Trust for the Reimagine the River 2026 Symposium, and what a day it was!
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Tribal leaders, government representatives, nonprofit organizations, service agencies, and the community came together to explore and share concerns and ideas on how to reimagine, restore, and reconnect with the Willamette.
Inspirational, informative, and inspired conversations - this truly was the start of something transformative.
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Keep the momentum going by joining with PLACE for the newly launched Reimagine Webinar Series. Information can be found in the Reimagine the River online program (link below).
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Thank you!
Building a Coalition: What's Next? Ronda Rutledge, Ecotrust Rukaiyah Adams, 1803 Fund Kate Brown, Willamette Falls Trust ​
Willamette Falls Trust Board Member, Robert Kentta -Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians provides closing comments
Building a Coalition: What's Next? Ronda Rutledge, Ecotrust Rukaiyah Adams, 1803 Fund Kate Brown, Willamette Falls Trust ​
TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS
Interactive Map
Reimagine the River Webinar Series extends the dialogue sparked by the symposium and the exhibition of the same title at PLACE, bringing together designers, scientists, advocates, chefs, and cultural leaders from around the world to explore new relationships between people and water.Through a sequence of conversations from global waterfront design and river restoration to public access, cultural storytelling, and water-centered gastronomy, the series examines how rivers can move from landscapes of extraction toward living systems of stewardship.Grounded in the context of the Willamette River and informed by Indigenous perspectives and global examples, these conversations invite participants to imagine waterfronts as spaces of belonging, resilience, and shared responsibility for generations to come.
UPCOMING EVENTS
July 30th | 5:00pm
PLACE
735 NW 18th Avenue
Portland, OR 97209
River Restoration
Emily Alcott | Interfluve
From channelized waterways to restored ecosystems, Emily Alcott will discuss how rivers can transition from extraction-based landscapes to living ecological systems. The talk explores the science, design, and long-term stewardship needed to restore healthy Willamette River corridor.
Emily Alcott is a river scientist and leader at Interfluve, dedicated to restoring rivers and floodplains across North America. Her work focuses on reconnecting rivers to natural processes while balancing ecological restoration with community needs. With extensive experience in river science, planning, and watershed design, Alcott brings a systems-based perspective to how rivers can recover from decades of industrial use.
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August 16th | 5:00pm
5-6pm
PLACE
735 NW 18th Avenue
Portland, OR 9720
River Access
Willie Levenson | Human Access Project
The event will explore how public access can transform relationships between cities and their rivers. Willie Levenson shares lessons from Portland’s growing river culture and how community-driven initiatives can reconnect people with living waterways.
Willie Levenson is the founder and executive director of the Human Access Project, a Portland nonprofit dedicated to transforming the Willamette River into a welcoming space for swimming, recreation, and community life. Through advocacy, storytelling, and public events, his work has helped reshape how Portlanders experience their river. Levenson’s efforts have played a key role in improving river access and inspiring a renewed culture of stewardship along the Willamette.
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Past events
4.10.2026
Reimagine the River: Waterfront Lessons from Across the World
6.22.2026
Reimagine the River: River as Ancestor
Meeting chat link
https://us06web.zoom.us/launch/jc/81603820453
Meeting ID: 816 0382 0453
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Working on the River
PLACE
Lanscape Architects
Reimagine the River 2026 Event Hosts
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