Oregon

An aerial image of the city of Brookings, Oregon, a small town located on the Pacific Coast.

Lawsuit Challenges Zoning to Limit Church Soup Kitchens

Local residents of Brookings, Oregon say a local church's meal services during the pandemic were attracting crime and vagrancy, so the city passed a zoning ordinance that limited the number of days the church could serve meals to two a week.

February 2, 2022 - Reason

An aerial image of Bend, Oregon, covered in snow in the winter. The Deschutes River cuts through the middle of town, below an old mill.

Upzoning Leads to Sharp Growth in Construction in Bend

After Oregon legalized 'missing middle housing' in cities statewide, Bend, the first city to comply with the state law, has experienced a significant boost in mid-density housing construction.

January 30, 2022 - KTVZ

I-84 to I-5 Interstate Freeway in Portland Oregon with Long Exposure Vehicle Traffic Motion

Oregon Youth Activists Protest Highway Expansion

A group of young climate activists are demanding an end to traffic-inducing road expansion projects and a renewed commitment to sustainable, transit-oriented transportation.

January 27, 2022 - Bloomberg CityLab

I-84 to I-5 Interstate Freeway in Portland Oregon with Long Exposure Vehicle Traffic Motion

Feds Toss the Environmental Assessment for Portland Controversial Freeway Widening Project

It's back to the drawing board for the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project.

January 20, 2022 - The Oregonian

Bend, Oregon

Oregon DOT Projects Little Decline in Driving Despite Climate Pledge

Financial projections from the state's Department of Transportation suggest the agency does not anticipate a marked reduction in driving in the next decade.

December 17, 2021 - Willamette Week

A plaque displaying the name of Re. Peter A. DeFazio, senate representative for the state of Oregon.

Peter De Fazio, Chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, to Retire

The end of an era for Oregon in Congress.

December 6, 2021 - The Oregonian

Pacific Ocean

Cities Finding Ways to Resist State-Mandated Upzoning

The resistance to state-mandated zoning reforms, already well underway in Oregon, is now starting to whiplash through California as well.

December 1, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

Weathered stone slabs with the words Juvenile Court Entrance engraved into it.

Minor Defendants: Kids Are Being Named in Evictions

Absurd as it may sound, minor children are sometimes named in eviction filings. If a child’s name makes in onto official court records—especially if those records are public and online—the damage can be irreversible.

November 17, 2021 - Shelterforce Magazine

Aerial view of Seaside, Oregon

State Study Calls For Tsunami Evacuation Structures In Coastal Communities

A Washington state study recommends the construction of dozens of tsunami evacuation facilities along the Pacific Northwest coast.

November 11, 2021 - KUOW

Tilikum Crossing

Portland and Multnomah County Push for Lower Speed Limits on Bridges

The Portland Bureau of Transportation and Multnomah County agree on a 30 mph speed limit on five downtown bridges, but the state's department of transportation denied the change on two key spans.

October 25, 2021 - Bike Portland

An aerial image of the neighborhood of Buckman in Portland, Oregon.

Homeowner Groups Find an Antidote to Zoning Reforms: National Register Historic Districts

Many neighborhoods are moving to create historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in response to the growing number of states, cities, and neighborhoods loosening single-family residential zones.

October 22, 2021 - Sightline Institute

A TriMet MAX Red Line light rail train heading for the Portland International Airport comes to a stop at Pioneer Place in downtown Portland.

MAX Red Line Extension Wins Federal Funding in Portland

The "A Better Red" project won the federal funding it needed from the federal Transit Administration's Capital Investment Grants program.

September 29, 2021 - Federal Transit Administration

An aerial image of Bend, Oregon, covered in snow in the winter. The Deschutes River cuts through the middle of town, below an old mill.

Bend First to Comply With Oregon's Statewide Upzoning Law

Oregon made history in 2019 by being the first state to adopt statewide legislation to end single-family zoning. Now, Bend is the first city of more than 25,000 people to comply with that historic legislation.

September 21, 2021 - The Bulletin

Numerous orange Portland Biketown bikes are parked at a facility in Northwest Oregon.

Draft West Portland Town Center Plan Seeks Public Comment

Always a closely watched planning jurisdiction, Portland, Oregon is proceeding with a new vision for the future of the western end of the city.

September 15, 2021 - BikePortland

View of Portland, Oregon from Pittock Mansion

The Long Road to Portland's Historic Residential Infill Project

How the journey of one zoning reform campaign can inform future efforts.

August 16, 2021 - Sightline

A single bike rider wearing a mask rides along a waterfront in Portland, Oregon.

Can Portland's Bike Boom Outlast the Pandemic?

"Anytime the city does something to dramatically improve streets for people and limit car access...it’s hard to take them back."

August 13, 2021 - Oregon Public Broadcasting

 on I84 in Northern Oregon…one hand on the wheel and one on the shutter, at 75 mph

In Extreme Heat Waves, Cities Need 'Social Resilience' to Help the Most Vulnerable

This summer's heat waves wreaked havoc on physical infrastructure, but also highlighted vulnerabilities in our social support systems.

July 30, 2021 - The Washington Post

Rendering of Broadway Corridor redevelopment project

'Unprecedented' Portland Community Benefits Agreement Prioritizes Racial Equity

The Broadway Corridor CBA is designed to create high quality jobs, housing, and opportunities for historically excluded communities.

July 22, 2021 - The Brookings Institiution

Flood waters overwhelm a park, full of empty benches, on a sunny day.

Detroit Floods as the Pacific Northwest Bakes: It's Time to Shift the Conversation About Climate Change

The record-breaking heatwave in the Pacific Northwest has mostly been depicted in the media by kids running through fountains, but images of flooded highways and stranded vehicles in Detroit tell a more accurate story of climate change.

June 30, 2021 - Daily Detroit

Motel 6 hotel room in Braintree, Massachusetts in 2015

Oregon's Version of Project Roomkey Offers Housing to Those Who Lost Homes to Wildfires

The program funds the purchase of hotels for housing people experiencing homelessness as housing costs in the state continue to rise.

June 15, 2021 - High Country News

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.