In December 2009, the regional Urban Growth Report indicated that the existing urban growth boundary did not provide enough capacity for the expected growth in jobs and housing in the coming 20 years.
Also in 2009, cities and counties summarized their local aspirations for growth, many of which, if put in place, would impact the capacity of the existing urban growth boundary.
With input from the 2009 Urban Growth Report, the local aspirations of cities and counties, the growth management assessment, and the 2008 Regional Infrastructure Analysis, Metro’s chief operating officer, working with the Metro Council, proposed refinements to existing land use strategy in the 2010 report, Community Investment Strategy: Building a Sustainable, Prosperous and Equitable Region. It outlined a long term land use strategy that:
- makes the most of existing public resources,
- provides for good jobs
- protects farm and forestland.
- identified new efficiency measures to accommodate more growth inside the existing urban growth boundary
- provided the Metro Council with several options to consider if it chooses to expand the urban growth boundary.
The Community Investment Strategy informed the capacity ordinance to maximize existing capacity and the 2011 growth management decision to increase the urban growth boundary.