Urban Growth Boundary Expansion
Urban Growth Boundary ExpansionCompact Mixed Use AreasParking Reform and ManagementEfficient Industrial operationsEach city in Oregon is surrounded by an urban growth boundary. Urban growth boundaries manage how communities develop and grow, while preserving open space and working farm and forest lands beyond the city. On planning maps, it’s a boundary drawn to show where a city expects to grow in the future.
Managing urban growth has many benefits:
It helps growing cities to plan for a more efficient use of land.
It reduces the distance people in Oregon must travel in their communities.
It gives people more transportation options.
All three benefits reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.
Urban growth boundaries can be seen in real life, too. You may notice that many major highways in Oregon have long stretches of undeveloped land between communities. That’s often because of urban growth boundaries.
Urban growth boundaries aren’t locked in place. As Oregon’s city populations and economies grow, so do the urban growth boundaries. The key is to manage boundary expansion for an efficient use of land that connects people and goods via short distances and many travel options.
Urban growth boundary expansion: emissions reduction vision
Urban growth boundary expansion will expand at 15% of the rate at which a metropolitan area’s population expands.
How Oregon is doing
Oregon’s land use planning system has managed urban growth for decades. Under these laws, metropolitan-area urban growth boundary expansions remain on track with population growth and Oregon’s emission reduction vision. As a result, Oregon’s trip lengths are consistently shorter than the national average. This reduces emissions and preserves our working forest and farmlands.
Oregon’s largest cities are seeing significant infill housing -- new homes on vacant, empty, or underused lots located within established, already-developed neighborhoods. Increasing infill housing, especially affordable housing options, in places with the ability to use low-cost and low emissions options for daily travel supports Oregon’s housing and land use goals.
How Oregon can improve
Improvement in this area is about maintaining our progress so far. The state will continue to apply its land use planning system to accommodate future growth in Oregon’s population.
Recent market studies show that mixed-use zoning and incentives can help spur private development. Findings demonstrate that public investments in infrastructure and other incentives in areas zoned for mixed use developments can help spur development. The state could increase funding for infrastructure and incentives in neighborhoods zoned for mixed use. (See the Compact Mixed Use Areas page)
The state is already working with cities to develop underused land into mixed-use areas, and to address barriers to developing multi-family homes and mixed-use buildings.
Urban Growth Boundary ExpansionCompact Mixed Use AreasParking Reform and ManagementEfficient Industrial Lands