Land Use and Urban Sprawl

Urban Sprawl in Oregon?

Inappropriate development is resulting in the permanent loss of Oregon's farmland, forests, wetlands, urban natural areas and community-based businesses. With the recent passage of Ballot Measure 37, uncontrolled developments that typify sprawl threaten to increase urbanized areas in a manner that increases dependency on the single occupancy vehicle, resulting in more paved surfaces, long commutes, and air and water pollution.

Traditional highway projects, often sought to solve sprawl related consequences, exacerbate the problem by opening up new areas for development while paving the countryside. Land use choices, such as the development of big-box retail outlets, place additional demands on both diminishing open space and foster further car dependence.

The Sierra Club’s Solution:

We are building public support to reaffirm Oregon’s commitment to sound land use and protection of farm and forestlands and livable communities. There are many solutions that can meet the community’s needs that do not further our reliance on automobile dependent development. We advocate public policy decisions at all levels of government to promote the better choices.

The Sierra Club works with community members and economic development interests through education including presentations, workshops and direct communications to identify and fight for alternatives to inappropriate developments and highway projects.

Please see www.sierraclub.org/sprawl for more information and tools to stop sprawl.

Come to a Meeting

Starting this March we are initiating monthly meetings of the Columbia Group Land Use & Transportation Committee. This would be an opportunity to catch up on current events and to discuss/learn about various topics impacting local, state or federal developments. We are envisioning monthly presentations and discussions, each led by a local authorities and/or committee members. Some potential topics are listed below.

The meetings will be on the fourth Monday each month at our office at 2950 SE Stark Street, Suite 110 at 7:00. The next one will be Monday May 23th and will focus on Big-Box Retail and their impacts on local communities and the region.

Please contact Scott Chapman at scott.chapman@oregon.sierraclub.org if you have questions or are interested in joining us.

Future meeting topics include the following. Let us know which ones may interest you and/or if you have other.

• What is Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and how does it impact how & where I live?
• What is the Safe Routes to School movement?
• What is the future for Bio-Diesel, Clean Diesel etc?
• Transportation Funding: Where does the money come from & where does it go?
• How can private-public (toll) roads change the landscape of Oregon?
• How does Big-Box Retail impact my community?
• What is the land use development process & how do I get the community I want?
• How do highway projects and policies impact human health?
• What are Transportation Demand Management (options to driving alone) alternatives and do they matter?
• How do our policies on School location and development impact our communities?
• What does the National Scenic Area Act do to protect the Columbia River Gorge?
• What is New Urbanism and how does it differ from Traditional Neighborhoods and typical suburban development?
• What is the Columbia River Crossing project and how a new bridge and associated land use changes impact the region?