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Urban revitalization: Centers and corridors

Planning and conservation  ›  Land and development  ›  Centers and corridors

Cities and developers around the country are realizing the long-term benefits of mixed-use neighborhoods that combine housing, employment, retail, cultural and recreational activities in a walkable environment that is well-served by transit.

In the region's long-range plan, the 2040 Growth Concept, high-quality development in centers and along transit corridors is key to maintaining the livable communities and natural beauty that make our region special. The plan designates regional and town centers and calls for growth to be concentrated in these centers - as well as main streets, station communities and corridors - in order to use urban land most efficiently.

New projections showing that the region's population is growing faster than expected place a premium on the efficient use and redevelopment of urban land. Demographic considerations such as the aging of our population have additional implications for land use; as people get older, they often seek higher-density housing within walking distance of transit, retail areas, and medical facilities. As the region's population grows and the costs of public facilities and services continue to rise, it is increasingly important to make good use of the limited supply of land that already has access to urban services, including roads, transit and schools.

Building housing near transit is one of the most effective ways to reduce road congestion, improve air quality and increase transit ridership. Car trips are less frequent in centers with a balance of jobs, housing and urban amenities. Focusing development in existing urban areas uses land more efficiently, reduces the need for costly new public facilities and prevents unnecessary conversion of farmland and natural areas to urban use. It can also spur the revitalization of existing neighborhoods, stimulating the creation of more vibrant communities throughout the region.

Successful centers don't just happen

The liveliest town centers are no accident. They are intentional and they require public and private vision, leadership and investment. While many strip malls stagnate over time, mixed-use centers can maintain consistently high values, create a sense of community and attract new business. In spite of its longer-term benefits, however, development of mixed-use, higher-density centers often has higher initial costs than traditional suburban development, and therefore requires sustained collaboration between the public and private sectors. Creative solutions are needed to help cities work with developers and lenders to streamline the permitting and approvals process, invest in critical infrastructure, reduce risk, and help offset added costs.

Discover in this section

Get Centered!

Get Centered! is a multi-year campaign dedicated to helping visionary developers, architects and elected officials spur investment and build the region's vibrant downtowns and main streets...More

Centers case studies

View case study analyses of local centers projects, including Gresham, Lake Oswego, Beaverton and Vancouver...More

Centers guides and research

Learn more about principles and strategies for developing mixed-use urban centers...More

Regional and town centers map

View aerial photos of regional and town centers in the broad context of the metro region or zoom into the neighborhood level...More

Need assistance?

Metro land-use planning
getcentered@oregonmetro.gov
503-797-1735

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Files that are downloadable from this page

• Metro urban centers: An evaluation of the density of development 1.3M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published July 1, 2001
• Replicable scope of work for evaluating centers 101K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published August 31, 2004