1999 Grant Recipient Information
Oregon

Urban Reserve Planning for the Portland, Oregon Metropolitan Region
Portland, Oregon

Abstract

With a comprehensive system to preserve resource lands and encourage "smart development," Oregon is a national leader in effective growth management. Metro just completed the first significant expansion of its urban growth boundary since it was drawn 20 years ago. This proposal seeks to fund an innovative, multi-agency partnership to plan for the transportation, land-use and environmental impacts of a key portion of the expansion.

Master planning for the area must occur before development begins to ensure efficient provision of services and infrastructure and effective environmental conservation, but local resources are not available for this comprehensive approach. Without outside funding, planning will occur on a piecemeal basis as areas are developed.

The jurisdictions that will ultimately govern this area have already formed a partnership to address the needs of the area. Metro is seeking funding to help local governments address the difficult transportation, land-use and environmental challenges of the area, including:

• Streams on the recent federal listing of endangered fish
• Mitigation of addition impacts on severe downstream flooding
• Local topography that creates a serious challenge in transitioning from a few two-lane country roads to a system that can serve the expected future population

This is the first of several anticipated urban reserve planning efforts in the region. This project will help answer questions of how rural areas can develop over time into land- and resource-efficient urban uses. The lessons learned in this project will guide future urban reserve planning efforts and can be transferred nationally to encourage smart development practices.

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