Described as an “architect of public process,” Steven Ames is a consulting long-range planner based in Portland/Bend, Oregon, recognized for his work in the area of community and regional visioning. He is the author of A Guide to Community Visioning, published by the American Planning Association (APA) and innovator of the Oregon Model, a strategic approach to visioning employed by cities and towns across the country.
Steven has advised two generations of visioning projects for the City of Portland, and worked with scores of other communities in Oregon and throughout the western U.S. His most recent award-winning project is the Columbia Gorge Future Forum, a regional visioning process engaging the 13 communities and tribes of the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon and Washington.
Steven has also consulted with local governments and communities in Canada, New Zealand and Australia, including Christchurch, Brisbane, and Canberra. His award-winning clients include Gold Coast City in Queensland, Australia’s iconic “Sea Change” city, and the City of Blue Mountains near Sydney, a string of urban villages located inside a World Biosphere Reserve.
Steven conducts visioning master classes and speaks on the relationship between civic vision, urban redevelopment and sustainability. His recent writings include a chapter for APA’s new reference work, Planning and Urban Design Standards.
