One hundred and twenty scholars from around the globe gathered at Portland State University in Portland (OR) on 13 February 2013 for the 7th International Academic Association on Planning, Law and Property Rights' (PLPR) conference. The local hosts, Ed Sullivan (Portland State University/Lewis and Clark College), Ellen Bassett (University of Virginia), Sy Adler (Portland State University) and Al Burns (City of Portland) invited us to an inspiring event, filled with scientific presentations and discussions, social gatherings and - as PLPR President Ben Davy called it - 'meetings with friends'. As in previous years, the venue locations were splendid. During the welcome reception we admired the interior of Portland's City Hall and had the opportunity to get (re)acquainted. The conference dinner took place in the ballroom of the Governor Hotel. A show of hands at the dinner revealed a fifty/ fifty mix of planners and lawyers attending the conference. This balanced mix was a PLPR first; usually planners have been in the majority, since PLPR has its roots within AESOP (Association of European Schools of Planning).Forty years' planning for PortlandGathering in Portland had an extra festive component as Oregon's pioneering state-wide land-use Planning Program celebrated its fortieth anniversary in 2013 and this gave delegates the opportunity to reflect on and learn from planning in the State. The learning experience commenced during the pre-conference tour. Nancy Hales, from First Stop Portland, showed us around town using the light rail system, taking us first to Pill Hill and the new waterfront development. Pill Hill was initially designed to be part of the railway network, but as soon as the planners realised the area was such a hilly site, the plan was abandoned. After several years, a hospital acquired the land and developed new facilities and a medical university on the hill. Eventually, Pill Hill was fully developed and the hospital contacted the Portland planning department to find additional space for development. They suggested a new building site near the river waterfront, and a new 140-acre high-density, mixed use urban community is now under construction. To unite both sites a new form of infrastructure was introduced to Portland: both sites are now connected via a cable car system, which - as we experienced - provides a beautiful panoramic overview of the city. After the panoramic view of the city, Nancy Hales also showed us the Pearl district, a post-industrial neighbourhood, currently being redeveloped. This project includes historic preservation, earthquake prevention, urban retail and sustainable development. The Brewery Blocks development is a good example of Portland working towards a sustainable city, while preserving its heritage.Oregon planners reflected on their planning system in two morning sessions during the conference. Ed Sullivan defined the journey of Oregon planning as 'a story of ideas and a lot of luck' and added that the journey was 'a unique experience within the USA'. He argued 'we might not be Nirvana, but we are pretty close'. Ed also addressed challenges for the future, such as climate change. During the coming decennia the climate in the USA is expected to change in a way which will affect the south of the USA in particular, causing southern citizens to move to the north: Portland is one of the areas to accommodate the climate refugees. This raises several planning questions for the State, such as 'how to accommodate the growth' and 'how to sustain the liveability of the city'. Both the pre-meeting tour and the Oregon sessions showed us much of the true nature of planning in Portland and how, in a changing economy, Portland is getting ready for the future.Fine keynotesAs part of the conference we enjoyed two keynote speeches. Both speakers focused on the impact of planning on individual property rights, with the role of lawyers and planners being central to both. …