Envision Eugene is our collective vision for how we will grow
while preserving what we love about our community.

Envision Eugene Newsletter
What's New with Envision Eugene?
June 2nd, 2017
With just over a week to go before our first urban growth boundary (UGB) work session with City Council, we want to continue highlighting the important topics we heard about during the Planning Commission phase of the UGB adoption process.This week's newsletter focuses on the topic of housing and how we are addressing our housing needs through the UGB adoption package and through work that will come after adoption. You can always find more information about Envision Eugene on our website.
Accommodating Our Housing Need
Our analysis shows that we have enough space within our existing UGB to accommodate 20 years of housing, if we pursue the housing strategies included in the UGB Adoption Package. For this reason, t he UGB proposal  does not  include an expansion for housing.

In October, the Eugene City Council gave staff direction to accommodate Eugene's anticipated multi-family development using two strategies:
  1. Continue existing downtown development incentives and programs
  2. Increase the minimum density in the R-2 zone

These strategies are part of the UGB proposal, as are the studies about how much residential land we need and have for the next 20 years. Check out the multi-family page on our website to learn more about our housing need, or the adopting our UGB page to learn more about the adoption package.

Future Work
Adopting our UGB will allow us to move onto three important initiatives related to housing: urban reserve planning (planning for 20+ years of growth), updating our clear and objective standards for needed housing, and starting the growth monitoring program. These initiatives will help us ensure that we have enough land and the right policies to support the kind of development Eugeneans have said they want as part of Envision Eugene. This future work will use the latest data on our community, such as newer population forecasts from Portland State University and more recent development trends.
Housing Affordability

Housing affordability is an important issue in our community that has been consistently raised throughout the Envision Eugene process. In fact, an entire pillar of Envision Eugene is dedicated to the topic: “Provide Housing Affordable to all Income Levels.” Housing affordability is a multifaceted topic impacted by many factors. Here are some of the strategies we are working on to support housing affordability:

  • Provide economic opportunities so that residents have the income to support their housing needs.
  • Plan for a citywide buildable land supply that includes flat land, which is cheaper to build on.
  • Promote compact urban development to reduce the cost of infrastructure required to serve development, which is passed on to residents.
  • Support preservation and maintenance of existing housing stock, which tends to be more affordable than new buildings.
  • Plan for more multi-family housing, which tends to be more affordable than single family homes.
  • Expand housing variety and choice to accommodate smaller families and single individuals looking for smaller, more affordable homes.
  • Support subsidized housing programs and projects to create a range of stable, safe, and affordable housing opportunities for area residents.
  • Advocate for housing affordability issues at the state level.
  • Establish a monitoring program to evaluate our progress and determine if adjustments are necessary to achieve our housing affordability goals.

Together, we hope these strategies will achieve our affordability goals. To learn more about housing affordability in Eugene you can check out our housing infographic or read the Eugene-Springfield Consolidated Plan

Reminder: UGB Work Sessions
This is a reminder of the upcoming Eugene City Council and the Lane County Board of Commissioners UGB work sessions. Members of the public are welcome to attend these sessions to learn more about what is contained in the UGB Adoption Package.
Eugene City Council
Work Session
June 12th, 5:30 pm
Harris Hall, 125 E 8th, Eugene
Lane County Bard of Commissioners
Work Session
June 13th, Time TBD
Harris Hall, 125 E 8th, Eugene
Public Hearing
On June 27th the Eugene City Council and Lane County Board of Commissioners will hold a joint work session and public hearing. Members of the public are encouraged to attend, learn about the UGB proposal, and provide testimony. 
Joint Work Session and
Public Hearing
June 27th
Work Session: 5:30 pm*
Public Hearing 6:30 pm
Harris Hall, 125 E 8th, Eugene
*Staff and information stations available starting at 5pm
To subscribe to Envision Eugene, email envisioneugene@ci.eugene.or.us and tell us you would like to receive our emails. Thanks for your interest, and as always, please let us know if we can answer any questions about Envision Eugene.
City of Eugene Planning & Development Department
99 W. 10th Avenue | Eugene | OR | 97401