Title: Urban growth boundary | Metro
Headings: Urban growth boundary
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Urban growth boundary

Content: Priority is given to the area of lower productivity. In other words, the best, most productive farm or forestland outside of designated urban and rural reserves is the last land to be considered for inclusion in the urban growth boundary. When is land added to the urban growth boundary? Oregon law requires the Metro Council to study the capacity of the existing urban growth boundary every six years to determine whether it can accommodate the population and employment growth that is forecast for the next 20 years. This study results in an urban growth report. If the urban growth report indicates that the existing urban growth boundary provides sufficient capacity to accommodate the growth that is forecast for the next 20 years, no urban growth boundary expansion is needed. If the urban growth report indicates that the existing urban growth boundary does not have sufficient capacity to accommodate the 20-year growth that is forecast, the Metro Council will first work with local governments to determine whether steps can be taken to enhance the efficiency of land inside the existing boundary to accommodate more growth. These steps may include upzoning, increased investments in transportation or other public infrastructure, redevelopment of brownfields, and other measures that can be expected to result in new development within the boundary to accommodate more housing and jobs over the next 20 years. If these additional steps are sufficient to accommodate all of the housing and employment growth that is expected for the next 20 years, no urban growth boundary expansion is needed. If, after these efficiency measures are taken, there remains a need for additional capacity within the boundary to meet the forecast growth, the Metro Council will consider boundary expansions, following the priorities outlined above.