The Origins and Evolution of Conflict in Portland’s Neighborhood Association System: A Case Study of North Portland’s District Coalition Board

¹Author’s Note: I would like to thank Professors Carl Abbott, Sy Adler, Charles Heying and Henry Kass for their thoughtful and helpful comments on earlier drafts of this article.

Abstract

Neighborhood associations represent a possible vehicle for broke ring private interests and public welfare within a diverse social context. In order to function at the level hoped for by normative political theory, neighborhood associations must be able to host vigorous dialogue within varied social interest group settings. Yet, because of the limited resources they typically command, and the disparate interests and agendas they are often confronted with, neighborhood associations are panicularly vulnerable to destructive levels of conflict and an array of collective action problems. As such, a central interest for neighborhood association research is to identify the constraints that impede citizens of different cultural and class backgrounds from working together to forge consensus around community wide concerns and agendas. A related interest is to see that this activity can occur with as little interference from central administrative agencies as possible. Portland, Oregon’s neighborhood association system offers a unique laboratory for exploring these research interests because it hosts a system of nominally autonomous neighborhood associations which receive ongoing subsidy from local tax revenue. This paper examines preliminary interview and archival data collected for dissertation research which suggests that Portland’s system may foster conflict more than it suppons consensus formation. The implications of these findings are examined against research claims made elsewhere that Portland’s neighborhood association system is exemplary.

Notes

¹ Author’s Note: I would like to thank Professors Carl Abbott, Sy Adler, Charles Heying and Henry Kass for their thoughtful and helpful comments on earlier drafts of this article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Matthew Witt

Matthew Witt is a Ph.D. candidate in urban studies at Portland State University, Portland, Oregon. His dissertation examines how intra-organizational conflict influences neighborhood association politics. Between 1990-96 he served as a volunteer for his neighborhood association in Northwest Portland. He served for one year, 1995-96, as a delegate to his neighborhood association’s district coalition board. His dissertation research draws from observations he made of neighborhood association activity during his six year involvement. His research interests include public philosophy, urban political economy and organizational studies.