Portland’s New Crop: Houses
The Sightline Institute just published some interesting maps of development patterns in the Portland area. Their thesis is two-fold: First, that Oregon’s growth-management laws have been effective in preserving farmland and preventing urban sprawl, and second, that Measure 37 is going to reverse that trend in short order.
Whether I agree with them or not, I have mixed feelings about growth-management regulations. On the one hand, I really hate the kind of high-density developments and condos going up all around me. On the other hand, I love being able to ride my bike out into genuine farmland, with rolling pastures and llamas giving me the evil eye. And I suspect I can’t have one without the other.
What strikes me as truly controversial, however, is Sightline’s reference to Vancouver as being one of the “two halves of Metro Portland”.
Half? Get serious.
Related posts:
If you hate high density development why do you live in a city? You have any number of low density sprawl to choice from. Have at it. I hate to break but cities ARE high density.
Land use laws are important, especially here where we have extremely fertile farm land and beautiful topography. This isn’t Topeka. We have a unique place that should be spoiled as little as possible, but the HBA would have you believe that it’s wrong to keep developers from doing anything they want, whereever they want.
When you buy land, you go into it understanding that it’s part of a bigger community… this is our city, our metro area. It belongs to all of us, and there’s always going to be a need for planning regulations and curbs on development. We all own it because it affects ALL of us.
Hey! I’m from Topeka - and it’s just as great as Portl….well, almost as good as…..well…it shouldn’t be spoiled either!