Planning and conservation › Making the Greatest Place › Urban growth report
The urban growth report helps inform a regional vision for how and where to grow over the next 20 years.
The urban growth report was included in the supporting documents for the recommendations from Metro's chief operating officer on strategies for a sustainable and prosperous region and part of the Making the Greatest Place comment period in fall 2009.
Read the recommendations and public comments
How do you want your community to look in the future? What kinds of investments do we need to make to create jobs and provide choices in housing for future generations?
The urban growth report helps people define their aspirations for their communities by forecasting how many people may be living here and how many jobs could be available in 20 years. This analysis is required by Oregon law to be updated every five years and forms the basis for decisions by the Metro Council and local governments on how best to manage growth. The Metro Council accepted the current urban growth report on Dec. 10, 2009, and submitted it to the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission.
Learn more about the Dec. 10 decision
The report sets the stage for a regional conversation: Should we prepare for more people by investing in existing urban centers or by expanding the current urban growth boundary - or some combination of both? In either case, how do the region's cities and counties find ways to pay for new streets, roads, water lines, sewers, parks and other infrastructure?
Throughout 2010, the Metro Council will work closely with local governments to identify policy actions and investments that can focus growth and economic activity into the urban centers, transportation corridors and employment areas that are already inside the urban growth boundary. By the end of 2010, the Metro Council will determine whether these actions and investments will be sufficient to accommodate the next 20 years' worth of growth. If they are not sufficient, the Metro Council will consider a possible expansion of the urban growth boundary as required by Oregon law.
The urban growth report focuses on the region's employment and residential needs:
The residential component of the report also contains a housing needs analysis that is intended to inform discussions about public policies and investments that can support a wide range of housing options as our population grows. The report will assist leaders in addressing new incentives for mixed-use and multifamily homes, as well as investments in transportation and other infrastructure to support efficient use of land inside the existing urban growth boundary.
If any of these files are too large for you to download or if you would prefer a printed copy of the report, call 503-797-1562 for assistance.
To view PDF files, download free Adobe Reader. To translate PDF files into text to assist visually-impaired users, visit Access.Adobe.com.
Learn more about forecasts that estimate a range of possible population and employment growth for the seven-county metropolitan region by the years 2030 and 2060. The forecasts help inform public discussions about the future of the region.
The Metro Council is working with local leaders and people throughout the region to create sustainable and prosperous communities for present and future generations. Learn about key decisions that will be made in 2009 and 2010.
