PORTLAND, OREGON: REGIONAL CITY IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY

Abstract

As a medium-sized metropolitan area, Portland, Oregon is modestly but increasingly part of the global economy. Foreign direct investment and international trade are becoming more significant. Internationalization of the area is reflected in dramatic increases in ethnic populations and businesses, ongoing cultural exchanges with foreign countries, and foreign-financed urban developments. Despite these changes, Portland's position is likely to remain secondary to that of other West Coast cities—its future tied to an emerging "Cascadia conurbation" that stretches from Vancouver, British Columbia to southern Oregon.