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Today's Wall Street Journal features an article on the streetcar boom, discussing cities in which streetcar projects have been part of an overall goal to spur development. Portland and the Pearl District are mentioned:

... And in Portland, Ore., the poster child for such development, officials say the streetcar system has helped bring $2.7 billion in investment within two blocks of its 3.6 mile line, much of it in the 24-hour hub known as the Pearl District. "It's one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in the city," says Richard Brandman, deputy planning director for Metro, the Portland area's regional government.

The topic of our streetcars is always met with some debate, usually stemming around whether they're the best use of public funds - not just here, but in other cities as well. The streetcar proponents in the article argue that streetcars are not designed to save time, but rather to change the way neighborhoods are built.