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Urban and rural reserves

Planning and stewardship  ›  Regional vision and policy  ›  Making the greatest place  ›  Urban and rural reserves

Metro and Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties are leading a regional effort to designate urban and rural reserves to accommodate future growth and protect valuable farmland, forest land and natural areas that define the character of this region.

Urban and rural reserves will provide greater predictability for landowners, farmers, and communities as to where future growth may take place outside the current urban growth boundary over the next 40 to 50 years, while protecting important farmland and natural areas from urbanization for that same period of time. The process for designating these reserves offers the region greater flexibility in determining which areas are more suitable for accommodating growth than others.

A new approach to managing growth in our region

The longstanding system for managing the region's UGB has achieved some notable successes in minimizing the expansion of growth onto valuable farmland and focusing population and employment growth in existing communties. In some cases, this system has also produced less than desirable urban development patterns, and it fails to provide long-term protection for the region's most productive agricultural lands or for important natural landscape features. It also leaves out any consideration of the types of communities the region seeks to create when the UGB is expanded. This approach, which requires Metro to start from scratch every five years in considering whether and how to expand the UGB, has led to conflict, uncertainty, and frustration for local governments, farmers, businesses, and landowners.

To address these concerns, the 2007 Oregon Legislature approved Senate Bill 1011. This bill enables Metro and the counties of the region to establish urban reserves – areas outside the urban growth boundary that, based on a number of factors, may be better suited to accommodate population and job growth over 40 to 50 years – as well as rural reserves, which are areas outside the urban growth boundary needed to protect valuable farm and forestland for a similar period.
Download Senate Bill 1011 (PDF)

A Reserves Steering Committee has been established to identify potential urban and rural reserve study areas and advise the Metro Council and the commissions of Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties on the eventual designation of reserves. Designation of urban and rural reserves will be made through agreements between Metro and the counties in 2009.

Implementing the 2040 Growth Concept

The designation of urban and rural reserves will assist the Metro Council and local communities in the implementation of the 2040 Growth Concept, the region's long-range plan for managing growth that was adopted in 1995. The 2040 Growth Concept seeks to:

• encourage more efficient use of land in cities, in business centers, on main streets and on major transit routes
• protect natural areas, parks, streams and farmland both inside and outside the urban growth boundary
• promote a transportation system that includes all types of travel, such as bicycling, walking and using mass transit, as well as cars and freight
• work with neighboring cities outside of the Metro region – such as Canby, Newberg and Sandy – to keep the separation between communities
• promote diverse housing options for all residents of the region.

Need assistance?

Ken Ray
503-797-1508
reserves@oregonmetro.gov

Files and related materials

Files that are downloadable from this page

• Urban and Reserves Milestones Chart with Work Program Overview 158K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published April 3, 2008

Related Links

Reserves Steering Committee

The Reserves Steering Committee, co-led by Metro and Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties, will oversee the study of potential urban and rural reserves and advise the Metro Council and county commissions on the formal designations of these areas.

Shape of the Region study

Find out more information about a comprehensive study, completed in 2006, identifying how the agricultural economy, natural areas and urban communities all contribute value to this region.

Related Internet links

• Department of Land Conservation and Development: Urban and rural reserves

  (http://www.oregon.gov/LCD/metro_urban_and_rural_reserves.shtml)