The Latest

As we prepare for the 2024 short session, we know that legislators who voted to protect Oregon’s land use system need to hear that protecting our urban growth boundaries matters. Join us in debunking the false promise that more soil is the missing factor in solving our housing crisis.

Following passage of the landmark semiconductor expansion bill, SB 4, Oregon has proven we found a win-win approach. We've seen zero executive orders and compromised zero working acres, plus Oregon has had at least 15 competitive semiconductor applications and we've identified 10,000 suitable acres inside our UGBs.

Wendy and Kate worked at 1000 Friends of Oregon as part of our development team from 2017 through 2021. In their new roles, Wendy and Kate will work with our staff, board, donors, and program participants to expand membership and deepen philanthropic engagement with Oregon’s unique land use planning system. 

In Washington County, where Tigard meets the Metro urban growth boundary, we’ve spent the past two years working with local residents to defend the values of the land use system and prevent the building of unnecessary commuter roads that neighbors have summarily rejected. Now, Ordinance 882 – the effort at the heart of this battle – is coming back for a vote in December. 

About 3,400 Oregonians call North Plains in Washington County home. When North Plains City Council voted to expand its urban growth boundary by more than 850 acres out onto working farms, residents came with questions, concerns, and solutions.

The Biden administration recently announced funding and programs to support converting underutilized commercial buildings to residential use, including through “new financing, technical assistance, and sale of federal properties.” Thanks to key legislation and agency programs, Oregon is well-positioned to use this funding to create thousands of new homes, well-located in our existing towns and cities.

On a late summer day, 1000 Friends welcomed more than 70 land use leaders from across the nation to talk about protecting our farms, forests, and watersheds. The location? The oldest mall in Portland, Lloyd Center, where housing is slated for development.

1000 Friends helped shape the 2023 legislation that will affect how communities site large-scale solar facilities in the state. Now, LCDC rulemaking is on the horizon, with the goal of identifying low-conflict areas for solar facilities so we can help meet climate goals while protecting valuable lands.

The Climate Investment Plan represents a unique opportunity for Portland to fund climate action equitably. Its comprehensive set of investments is designed to reduce carbon emissions, help vulnerable communities adapt to climate change, and center equity. This new investment in climate mitigation is possible through the CIP thanks to excess from the Portland Clean Energy Fund.

Metro has convened local governments and business and community organizations to help understand the success and barriers in strategically managing the region’s growth. 1000 Friends is participating.