Urban Growth Strategies

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Urban Growth Strategies will identify the tools, actions, policies, and land needed for the next 20 years to support housing and living wage jobs in Eugene.

Our homes are the foundations for our lives; they are places of shelter, safety, gathering and comfort. Finding a place to call home and earning enough to pay for rent or a mortgage is getting harder in Eugene. Our community is growing, and the City is working hard to improve opportunities for housing and jobs in Eugene.

Project Background

Building off years of planning and community engagement through Envision Eugene, the project will evaluate the need for housing, jobs, parks, infrastructure, schools, and other urban land uses, as well as what tools can help Eugene to grow more efficiently. This work will result in studies of what land is available in Eugene, updates to the Envision Eugene Comprehensive Plan, other adopted City plans and land use regulations, a parcel-specific land use designation map, and an evaluation of whether there is a need to expand the urban growth boundary (UGB).

Urban Growth Strategies is a collaborative effort that integrates state-required urban growth planning, equitable community engagement, and City Council-directed policy work.

Project Phases

Urban Growth Strategies includes three key phases:

  • Identify Eugene's needs and priorities for housing
  • Study what land is needed for jobs, housing, parks, schools, and infrastructure
  • Using what was learned through community engagement and studies, create and update the regulations, guidelines, and maps for using land in Eugene

Stay Involved

Stay tuned for opportunities to engage in Urban Growth Strategies. In the meantime, use the tool below to “Ask a Question" and check out project updates as they're available.

Urban Growth Strategies will identify the tools, actions, policies, and land needed for the next 20 years to support housing and living wage jobs in Eugene.

Our homes are the foundations for our lives; they are places of shelter, safety, gathering and comfort. Finding a place to call home and earning enough to pay for rent or a mortgage is getting harder in Eugene. Our community is growing, and the City is working hard to improve opportunities for housing and jobs in Eugene.

Project Background

Building off years of planning and community engagement through Envision Eugene, the project will evaluate the need for housing, jobs, parks, infrastructure, schools, and other urban land uses, as well as what tools can help Eugene to grow more efficiently. This work will result in studies of what land is available in Eugene, updates to the Envision Eugene Comprehensive Plan, other adopted City plans and land use regulations, a parcel-specific land use designation map, and an evaluation of whether there is a need to expand the urban growth boundary (UGB).

Urban Growth Strategies is a collaborative effort that integrates state-required urban growth planning, equitable community engagement, and City Council-directed policy work.

Project Phases

Urban Growth Strategies includes three key phases:

  • Identify Eugene's needs and priorities for housing
  • Study what land is needed for jobs, housing, parks, schools, and infrastructure
  • Using what was learned through community engagement and studies, create and update the regulations, guidelines, and maps for using land in Eugene

Stay Involved

Stay tuned for opportunities to engage in Urban Growth Strategies. In the meantime, use the tool below to “Ask a Question" and check out project updates as they're available.

  • Climate-Friendly Areas Info Session

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    By the end of 2024, City Council will provide direction on where to designate Climate-Friendly Areas across Eugene. A Climate-Friendly Area (CFA) is intended to be an area where most people can meet their daily needs without relying on a car. They are envisioned as mixed-use centers with high-density housing, jobs, and services, as well as great walking, biking, and transit infrastructure.

    Curious for more information? Join the City of Eugene Planning Division for an upcoming info session!

    Wednesday, August 21 | 12:00 – 1:00 PM | Zoom Webinar
    Can’t make the info session? No worries, it will be recorded and posted to Engage Eugene.

    The City’s community vision calls for focusing future growth and investment in and near mixed-use centers to increase access to essential goods and services for all residents. Mixed-use centers are intended to provide convenient access to daily needs, such as housing, jobs, groceries, parks, schools, and services. They also range in size and activity level, from downtown Eugene to smaller neighborhood centers.

    Climate-Friendly Areas are a specific type of center, directed by state administrative rules, that will play a crucial role in reducing dependence on cars, lowering household transportation costs, and decreasing pollution by keeping goods and services close together and near housing. By strategically focusing on these centers, Eugene can become an even more thriving, lively, and inclusive city that meets the needs of all its residents.

  • July Project Update

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    Curious about what's going on with Urban Growth Strategies? Staff will be creating regular updates that provide relevant project information, milestones, and upcoming opportunities for engagement. For July 2024, project updates include:

    • Centers and Climate-Friendly Areas (CFA): The City’s community vision calls for focusing future growth and investment in and near mixed-use centers to increase access to essential goods and services for all residents. Climate-Friendly Areas are a type of center, directed by state administrative rules.
    • Centers Survey and Mapping Activity: To inform planning for Centers and Climate-Friendly Areas, the Planning Division designed and released a community-wide online survey and interactive mapping activity. Both engagement opportunities ask respondents about their ability to access goods and services and about the types of goods and services they wish they had within a short trip from home.
    • Housing and Urban Growth Community Open House: On Wednesday, June 5, 2024, the City of Eugene hosted a community open house at the Farmer’s Market Pavilion. During the event, nearly 150 community members had the opportunity to share their thoughts on community needs and priorities for housing, mixed-use centers, future urban growth, and other ongoing City projects.
    • Urban Growth Strategies in the Community: In June and July, the City of Eugene’s Planning Division participated in events hosted by Bethel, Far West, and Harlow neighbors, HIV Alliance, AARP, Noche Cultural, and Pride at Scobert Gardens.
    • Recent and Upcoming Public Meetings: Staff recently presented on a variety of Urban Growth Strategies work to a joint meeting of the Eugene Planning Commission and City Council, Lane County Planning Commission, and Envision Eugene Technical Advisory Committee.


    Read the full project update for July 2024 here.

  • Live, Work, Shop, & Play Survey and Mapping Activity

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    The City of Eugene Planning Division is looking for ways to make it easier for people to get goods and services closer to home. Please take less than ten-minutes to fill out a short survey and map the places near your home that you go or wish you could go for things like groceries, work, medical services, etc. The information provided in this survey and mapping activity will help the City of Eugene make plans to create a lively city that meets the needs of everyone who lives here while working toward citywide sustainability goals.

    As a thank you, survey participants can choose to be entered into a free drawing for one of eight $25 gift cards to the Lane County Farmer’s Market. Be part of the conversation!

    The information provided in the survey and mapping activity will inform policy outcomes of Urban Growth Strategies.

    Please email Associate Planner Stuart Warren with any questions or feedback.

  • April 2024 Project Update

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    Curious about what's going on with Urban Growth Strategies? Staff will be creating regular updates that provide relevant project information, milestones, and upcoming opportunities for engagement. For April 2024, project updates include:

    • Joint Meeting for Eugene City Council and Planning Commission: On May 15, 2024, the Planning team will provide the Eugene City Council and Planning Commission with an update on Urban Growth Strategies. Find information on how to view the joint meeting here.
    • Save the Date – Housing & Urban Growth Community Open House: On Wednesday, June 5, 2024, from 4-7 pm, the City of Eugene will host a community open house at the Farmer’s Market Pavilion. During the event, community members will have the opportunity to share their thoughts on community needs and priorities for housing, future urban growth, and other ongoing City projects. Learn more about the Open House here.
    • Deconstructing Barriers to Housing: Outreach Event for BIPOC Community Members: In April, 29 members of Eugene’s Black, Indigenous, Latino/Latina, Asian, Pacific Islander, and all people of color communities gathered, shared a meal, and discussed their challenges with finding and remaining in a home.
    • Land Use Designation Map Update: Planning staff met with the Envision Eugene Technical Advisory Committee (EETAC) to present an overview of the Land Use Designation Map (watch the recorded meeting here).
    • Redevelopment Analysis Update: Staff also met with EETAC to present an overview of Climate-Friendly Areas designation and an ongoing Redevelopment Analysis (watch the recorded meeting here).
    • List of Upcoming Presentations and Events: In addition to the Community Open House and Joint Eugene City Council and Planning Commission meeting, staff will convene a working group of housing professionals and present to the Lane County Planning Commission in May.


    Read the full project update for April 2024 here.

  • Save the Date: Housing, Urban Growth, and City Projects Open House

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    Share your thoughts on community needs and priorities for housing, future growth, and other ongoing City projects with City of Eugene staff.


    Event Information

    • Who: All residents invited to meet with City of Eugene staff on various projects and programs
    • When: June 5, 2024 from 4:00 – 7:00PM
    • Where: Farmers Market Pavilion, 85 E. 8th Avenue, Eugene OR 97401


    Together, we’ll discuss questions like...

    • How will Eugene grow over the next 20 years?
    • What types of homes will residents need?
    • How can the City increase access to daily needs like groceries, schools, and parks?
    • How can the City help to stabilize the cost of housing?
    • How can the City do all this, and still make progress on our climate goals?


    In addition to sharing your perspective on needs and priorities, different City departments will share resources and information on a wide range of topics – renter protections; downtown projects and priorities; transportation safety projects; efficient, healthy, and resilient buildings; community safety, and more. Let us know you're coming on Facebook!

    Don't miss out on this opportunity to be a part of the conversation!


  • Get Caught Up on Urban Growth Strategies

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    Interested in getting caught up on Urban Growth Strategies? Take 15 minutes to watch this short informational presentation on the project - including background, project phases, and upcoming opportunities to engage.



  • March 2024 Project Update

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    Curious about what's going on with Urban Growth Strategies? Staff will be creating regular project updates that provide relevant project information, milestones, and upcoming opportunities for engagement. For March 2024, project updates include:

    • Community Engagement Plan Approval: The Community Engagement Plan for Urban Growth Strategies was recently approved by the Planning Commission.
    • Grant Awards: In the last several months, state agencies have awarded three grants to the City of Eugene to support Urban Growth Strategies.
    • First Working Group Meeting: As a part of the Urban Growth Strategies community engagement, City staff will convene housing and development experts, employers, and business owners to inform project priorities and outcomes through a series of working groups.
    • Legislative Updates: Housing, housing, and more housing! The 82nd Oregon Legislative Assembly convened for the 2024 Legislative Session on February 5 and adjourned on March 7. This year’s short session covered a range of topics, but the focus was on ways to increase housing production in Oregon.
    • Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities News: In early March 2024, the Oregon Court of Appeals affirmed the overall validity of the 89 rules adopted by LCDC in July 2022 as part of the CFEC program.
    • Upcoming Presentations and Events: Staff will participate in a variety of presentations to City boards and commissions in the spring. Save the date for an Urban Growth Strategies Open House on June 5 at the Farmer's Market Pavilion!


    Read the full project update for March 2024 here.

  • Community Engagement Plan Approved!

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    The Community Engagement Plan for Urban Growth Strategies was recently approved by the Planning Commission. The Plan outlines a multi-year community engagement strategy that will help identify the needs and priorities of community members for housing, jobs, and access to community resources in Eugene.

    The Community Engagement Plan builds off the Envision Eugene Community Vision and outlines community engagement goals, activities and timeline, engagement strategies, communication tools, and equitable outcomes for the project.

    In February, the City of Eugene was awarded additional funding from the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development to support equitable community engagement throughout Urban Growth Strategies. Eugene will use this additional funding to support direct engagement with people from historically marginalized communities, as a part of Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC).

    Engagement will begin this month and run through the end of 2025. Stay tuned for project updates and engagement opportunities through the EUG Planning Newsletter, by following the project on Engage Eugene, and visiting the project webpage.

Page last updated: 25 Jul 2024, 10:30 AM