Wellbeing, work/life balance, and health is a priority for residents of Greater Portland. As a region, we are known for making strategic investments in the health of our people - often through collaborative investment projects. For example, Portland has some of the best bicycle infrastructure in the country. The city invested in greenways, special turn lanes and bicycle parking to make it easier for people to bike to work, get exercise and make an environmentally-friendly choice. Portland also partnered with Nike on a bikeshare program.
The people who live here love to stay active in a variety of ways. Greater Portland is home to dozens of yoga studios, rock climbing gyms, dance studios, miles of hiking trails and more. Need to relax? Find tranquility in forested retreats or one of the area’s naturally occurring hot springs.
Access to Fresh Food
A unique aspect of living in the Greater Portland region is access to high-quality locally grown produce. An agricultural paradise, Oregon’s Willamette Valley is home to several ecosystems that provide ideal conditions for growing delicious fresh fruits and vegetables. People here are able to enjoy meals prepared with ingredients grown a few miles away, if not in their backyard or down the street in an urban garden.
Our local restaurants are often credited with developing the “farm-to-fork” style of dining by sourcing directly from local farmers. Many communities have their own weekly farmers markets to shop seasonally and locally. That’s the culture of the Greater Portland region. With access to fresh produce, wine from nearby hillside vineyards, and locally-raised cheese and meat products, residents have the opportunity to live a healthy, delicious lifestyle.
Leading Health Research
While Greater Portlanders value wellness and healthy lifestyles, local healthcare providers offer excellent care for needs of all types. Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) is a leader in healthcare research. After raising a record $1 billion in two years, OHSU’s Knight Cancer Institute is leading the charge to eradicate cancer with groundbreaking work in oncology. Meanwhile, an OHSU scientist led pioneering work in disease prevention, using the university’s CRISPR technology to repair genes.
Highly specialized labs include OHSU’s National Primate Research Center, the University of Oregon’s Genomics & Cell Characterization Core Facility and OHSU’s biolibrary of tissues and blood.