Survey: Downtown Portland businesses see signs of improvement

Published 5:00 am Friday, March 7, 2025

Downtown Portland business owners are reporting improvements in livability, despite some ongoing fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the most recent annual 2024 Downtown Clean & Safe Business Survey, more business owners are experiencing increases in safety, decreases in crime, and growing confidence in the downtown economy than any time since the pandemic.

“The 2024 Business Survey results reflect real progress in Portland’s livability. Businesses are reporting less crime, fewer operational disruptions, and increased confidence in key services. While challenges remain, the collective efforts of DPCS, local stakeholders, and city partners is contributing to a safer, more welcoming downtown,” said the report released on Feb. 28 by the non-profit organization that provides 24-hour dispatch and cleaning services.

The new survey show that businesses experiencing theft or shoplifting incidents dropped from 47% in 2023 to 30% in 2024. Businesses repairing windows or physical damage decreased from 67% in 2023 to 47% in 2024. In addition, 57% of businesses now feel optimistic about being downtown.

“Organized crime is having a hard time doing business in downtown and that’s exactly what we want,” Downtown Portland Clean & Safe Executive Director Mark Wells told KOIN 6 News, a news partner of the Portland Tribune. “A year ago, you would walk around, it would be very common to see open drug use and open drug dealing. It still exists, for sure, but it’s dramatically decreased, and that adds to the sense of safety and security.”

There are still areas that need improvement, however. While nearly half of businesses reported employees quitting due to safety concerns in 2023 (45.8%), that figure was still nearly one-third in 2024 (29.2%).

“At Clean & Safe, we’re optimists. But we’re also realists. We need more foot traffic. We need more people coming downtown and shopping and eating and dining than we did pre-pandemic. We’re not back there yet,” Wells said.

The survey also found increasing satisfaction with the services and promotions provided by Downtown Clean & Safe, including cleaners, dispatchers, safety coordinators and tree lights.

Downtown Clean & Safe provides services to a 213-block district that on the west side of the Willamette River that includes downtown and the Old Town Chinatown neighborhoods. The non-scientific online survey was conducted in partnership with DHM Research. Questionnaires were mailed and emailed out to owners and managers of businesses, organizations, and government agencies located within the study area. It is conducted on an annual basis each year as the baseline date for responses and collected information.

The 2024 and previous surveys can be found on Downtown Clean & Safe’s website at downtownportland.org.

KOIN 6 News is a news partner of the Portland Tribune and contributed to this story. Their full story can be found at koin.com.