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Urban and rural reserves

Planning and conservation    Land and development    Urban and rural reserves

Find out about a unique new collaborative process the region is using to choose the best places for future urban growth. Learn how regional partners are identifying lands that won’t be urbanized for the next 50 years. Share your views.

Discover in this section

Shaping the region for 40-50 years

What are urban and rural reserves? Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties and Metro are leading a regional process to identify land for future urban development and protect farms, forests and natural areas for the next half century...More

Urban and rural reserve candidate areas

What makes a piece of ground suitable for urban development? What keeps working farms or forests in business? Which rivers, wetlands and buttes define our region? Learn about the first steps taken to identify candidate urban and rural reserves...More

Share your views

You can help shape future urban and rural reserves. Learn about the reserves designation process, consider candidate areas and share your insights...More

Regional Reserves Steering Committee

Learn about this group of 30 people who represent interests from around the region and advise the Metro Council and Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington county commissions on which areas to designate as urban and rural reserves...More

What reserves mean for you

Do you own land outside the urban growth boundary? Do you live in a rural community? Find out how an urban or rural reserve designation would affect you...More

Need assistance?

Marcia Sinclair 
503-797-1814
reserves@oregonmetro.gov

County partners

Find information about how your county is planning for urban and rural reserves.
Clackamas County
Multnomah County
Washington County

Related Links

Making the greatest place

Our region’s collaborative approach to planning set us on a wise course – but times are changing. Climate change, rising energy costs, economic globalization, aging infrastructure and population growth demand thoughtful deliberation and action.

Acquiring natural areas

Find out more about the 27 target areas where Metro is acquiring natural areas and trails to safeguard water quality, protect fish and wildlife habitat, and ensure access to nature for future generations.

Related Internet links

Definitions

What are urban and rural reserves?

Urban reserve means lands outside an urban growth boundary that will provide for: (a) future expansion over a long-term period; and (b) the cost-effective provision of public facilities and services within the area when the lands are included within the urban growth boundary.

Rural reserve means land reserved to provide long-term protection for agriculture, forestry or important natural landscape features that limit urban development or help define appropriate natural boundaries of urbanization, including plant, fish and wildlife habitat, steep slopes and floodplains.

Oregon Revised Statute 195.137

Looking ahead

Population and employment forecasts
Read forecasts that estimate a range of possible population and employment growth for the seven-county metropolitan region by the years 2030 and 2060. The forecasts help inform public discussions about the future of the region.

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Metro
600 NE Grand Ave.
Portland, OR 97232-2736
503-797-1700
503-797-1804 TDD
503-797-1797 fax