Land use planning in the United States is authorized by the legal framework of the Constitution and the powers granted to the states by the federal government. State and local governments have broad latitude for engaging in land use planning. Ms. Hanling Yang, attorney and senior program manager from the China-U.S. Center for Sustainable Development, provides background on America's representative form of government and its system of "checks and balances," and sets the context for land use planning from the national level passed down through state, county, and local levels of government. She explains the structure of land use planning in Oregon and how it is carried out in the state's counties, towns and cities.
Sustainable transportation planning principles deemphasize motor vehicle trips in favor of alternative means of moving from place to place. Portland has emerged as a national leader in bicycle commuting, public transit use, and innovative land use planning which encourages public accessibility to transportation alternatives while minimizing the impact on the environment. Dr. Jennifer Dill, associate professor in the School of Urban Studies and Planning at Portland State University, lists essential elements of a sustainable transportation system, provides policy frameworks, and discusses aspects of the Transportation Planning Rule adopted by Oregon lawmakers in 1991. Dr. Dill explains how plans are created and implemented at the local level and shares results which reveal encouraging trends in public transit and bicycle use for commuting.
Decision making among government agencies and between agencies and the general public is often characterized by gridlock, confusion, and inefficiency. Over the past 25 years in the United States, considerable effort has been directed toward improving our understanding of collaborative processes in public decision making. Dr. Connie Ozawa, professor in the School of Urban Studies and Planning at Portland State University, presents examples of how collaborative processes have been and might be applied effectively to enhance interagency coordination and public involvement. Her presentation highlights the challenges, structure and elements of successful collaborative processes.
Land use is dynamic and people-centered. It captures the values and priorities of the citizens of a given region as it attempts to mediate between often-conflicting goals and perspectives. Dr. Ethan Seltzer, Professor and Director of the School of Urban Studies and Planning at Portland State University, lists some overarching planning principles and describes the comprehensive planning process. He explains the origins of land use planning in the Portland metro region and the state of Oregon, lists required planning elements, and details the process used in the creation of the Region 2040 plan.
Protecting productive resource lands from urban uses in accordance with state requirements has been controversial. A substantial part of protecting farm and forest resource lands is to ensure they can remain productive and economically viable into the future. R. Scott Pemble, planning manager for the Clackamas County Department of Transportation and Development, describes farm and forest zoning in the county along with successful strategies to prevent the inappropriate conversion of farm and forest lands to urban use. He emphasizes the importance of containing urban sprawl in order to preserve farm and forest lands.
One of the most successful tools in protecting rural areas from urban development and containing the cost of infrastructure investment has been the urban growth boundary. Richard Benner, an attorney with Metro and former director of the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, outlines the rationale and purpose of the urban growth boundary and explains how it can be incrementally adjusted to accommodate future growth. Future growth can be effectively planned on non-resource lands where urban services can reasonably be provided. Decisions to move or amend the urban growth boundary are subject to extensive public process.