Oregon Public Broadcasting

This week Portland's hosting an international conference aimed at getting people out of their cars. April Baer reports, the ideas go beyond bike lanes.

The "Toward Carfree Cities" conference kicked off  with a depaving event in North Portland.

Volunteers gathered to break up an asphalt lot -- the first step in turning the space into a garden and community meeting area.

Neighborhood assets like this are part of what conference organizer Ellie Blue wants to promote this week.Ellie Blue: "When you're talking about how to get around, you have to think about not just how you're getting from here to there, but where here is and where there is and why you're going!"

Tuesday events are free and open to the public, including workshops on street design, the Columbia River Crossing, and helping families go car-free.

Carfree Portland