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Making the Greatest Place

Planning and conservation  ›  Making the Greatest Place

The Metro Council is working with local leaders and people throughout the region to create sustainable and prosperous communities for present and future generations. Learn about key decisions that will be made in 2009 and 2010.

When someone asks you why you live in the Portland metropolitan area, what do you say? Chances are you love this place – and choose to live here – for many reasons. Whether your roots are generations deep or newly planted, you are part of a community that treasures the nature around us, the neighborhoods and businesses that sustain us and our shared commitment to preserving our quality of life.

The quality of life we enjoy here is the result of conscious decisions and hard choices made by citizen leaders, business owners and elected officials to protect farms and forest land, preserve the character of single-family neighborhoods, revitalize commercial districts, invest in transportation options and safeguard our clean air, clean water and healthy ecosystems. As our population continues to grow, the Metro Council is committed to protecting the things we love about this place and charting a wise course for the future.

Key decisions will be made in 2009 and 2010

Making the Greatest Place is a set of policy and investment decisions aimed at protecting our valuable farm and forest land while maintaining and investing in our town and regional centers, transportation corridors and employment areas. Key decisions in fall 2009 and throughout 2010 include:

• adoption of the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan that outlines investments in multiple modes of transportation aimed at supporting economic growth, reducing global warming, and enhancing vibrant communities where residents can choose to walk for pleasure and to meet their everyday needsLearn more
• designation of urban and rural reserves to identify which areas outside of the current urban growth boundary will be set aside to accommodate future population and employment growth over the next 40 to 50 years and which areas will be excluded from growth over that same periodLearn more
• commitment to local policies and investments that will help the region better accommodate growth within its centers, corridors and employment areas over the next 20 years, as described in the urban growth report.Learn more

By the end of 2010, if local policy and investment commitments are not adequate to serve the growth that is anticipated over the next 20 years, an expansion of the urban growth boundary may be considered.

Need assistance?

Regional Transportation Plan
503-797-1735
rtp@oregonmetro.gov

Urban and rural reserves
503-797-1814
reserves@oregonmetro.gov

Related documents

Download a 6-page brochure on Making the Greatest Place below that explains what the decisions are, who will make them and when and how you can get involved. You can also read Our Place in the World, a 36-page booklet that frames the challenges and choices facing the region in the context of our history and our place.

Files that are downloadable from this page

• Making the Greatest Place brochure 2.2M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published August 21, 2009
• Our Place in the World: Global challenges, regional strategies, homegrown solutions 6.0M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 1, 2008