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At the northwest corner of Irving Park (Northeast 7th Avenue and Fremont Street, portland.gov/parks/irving-park), starburst lights strung from towering trees offer more than safety—they transform the park’s corner into an ethereal twilight greenspace. It feels magical and inviting in equal measure.
Installed through a partnership between Portland Parks & Recreation and the city’s Public Environment Management Office, these lights can be found at Irving Park as well as a number of other corridors throughout the city. But the Irving Park installation feels particularly enchanting. Tucked just east of the bustle of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, the lights serve as a reminder that Portland’s greenspaces are what give the city its undeniable charm. Illuminating them in such a joyful way feels both necessary and appropriate.
“The inspiration for the lighting project came from looking at our tree canopy as this immense, invaluable asset throughout our city,” says Laura Rude, a city representative who coordinates projects addressing homelessness and livability issues. “How we could leverage it for quick, immediate placemaking while also helping spaces feel safer through lighting.” So far, leveraging the canopy has looked like installed lights in over 4,000 trees throughout the city, which has brought many dimly lit corners up to Portland Bureau of Transportation code.
See the rest of Willamette Week’s Best of Portland 2026 here!
