Oregon, Land Use Planning Act of 1973
Topics: Community Impact | legislation
Considered one of the most effective growth management program in the United States, this law set 19 statewide planning goals and required all cities and counties to prepare comprehensive land use plans to meet those goals. The most innovative of the goals required each city to draw a line around itself and thereby establish an Urban Growth Boundary (UGB), a legally established boundary that separates an urban area from farm land, forest, and natural areas. Each city draws its UGB. Boundaries were required to be large enough to accommodate anticipated growth, but not so large as to encourage sprawl. The intention was “To provide for an orderly and efficient transition from rural to urban land use,” allowing for expansion but preventing leapfrog development. Community leaders, planners, and citizens estimate how many acres will be needed for the new houses, offices, stores, factories, and parks that will serve the future population. After they decide how many acres of vacant land will be needed to accommodate future growth, the planners subtract the amount of vacant land that is already available within the current city limits. The remainder is the amount of urbanizable land beyond city limits that is needed for future growth. Other important goals of this law call for: an efficient arrangement of public facilities to serve urban and rural development; and local transportation plans to consider alternatives to the automobile. The act also established the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) consisting of seven members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. With a staff of about sixty, the LCDC is given the broad powers to review each of the 241 townships’ comprehensive plans “for compliance with goals.” Disputes among local governments, state agencies, developers and property owners are heard before the Land Use Board of Appeals which has exclusive jurisdiction to review all governmental land use decisions. According to the state’s Department of Land Conservation and Development, Oregon’s approach has “helped to hold down the costs of public services, saved farmland from urban sprawl, and led to better coordination of city and county land-use planning. They have also brought greater certainty for those who own, use, or invest in land at the city’s edge.” To replicate the concept of UGBs in your state, you would need to meet with state lawmakers interested in growth management issues. Adding such a law would take a significant amount of work and time—but some elements of the UGB concept might be transferable to other states—including the concept of delineating rural and urban land
