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Nature-friendly development

Planning and conservation  ›  Urban development and revitalization  ›  Nature-friendly development

Learn more about nature-friendly development practices that benefit the environment and your business.

Balancing growth and livability

Citizen's long-term vision and multi-generational values have created a high quality of life and livability in this region that is remarkably unique and beautiful. But our region is changing. In an average week, the Portland metropolitan area gains more than 500 new residents, increasing pressure on natural areas, wildlife habitat, clean rivers, and streams. As this area grows to accommodate 1 million new citizens in the next 25 years, we will need to find innovative ways to balance development and growth with conservation and livability.

Nature-friendly development and design

Using nature-friendly development practices protects our natural assets as we grow by reducing the impact of development on natural resources. Also called green or low impact development, nature-friendly development practices look beyond the building envelope and focus on land development and site design that mimic nature's processes.

Key concepts

Nature-friendly practices conserve the natural systems and hydrologic functions of a site. Successful nature-friendly site planning and development:

• preserves natural areas and minimizes land disturbance
• protects and incorporates natural systems (wetlands, streams/wildlife corridors, mature forests, native vegetation) into site plans
• designs landscape elements to catch and absorb rainwater on site
• reduces impervious surfaces that increase stormwater runoff
• uses bioretention, pervious pavement and other small-scale stormwater controls
• uses creative lot layouts, roadway configurations and cul-de-sac designs
• retains on-site native soil, plants and vegetation
• minimizes soil compaction
• retains buffers along streams and rivers
• locates lots near natural areas to improve aesthetics and privacy
• builds houses and other structures on a site in patterns that preserve valuable habitat and wildlife corridors and allow stormwater to follow more natural drainage patterns

Benefits and added value

Nature-friendly development practices:

• help keep nature in every neighborhood
• increase property values
• improve water quality and protect drinking water supplies
• protect and create healthy habitat for fish and wildlife
• conserve resources and reduce energy use
• keep this region green, unique and beautiful

Nature-friendly practices

Some specific examples of nature-friendly practices include:

• tree planting and retaining on-site vegetation
• landscaping with native plants
• soil amendments and composting
• pervious pavers, concrete and/or asphalt for roads, driveways and parking lots
• green street and bioretention features such as curb cuts, swales and rain gardens
• ecoroofs
• skinny roads and cluster development patterns

Related documents

• Low impact development practices terms and definitions 45K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published November 1, 2010