Members of the board of directors of 1000 Friends of Oregon met with Metro COO Michael Jordan on Aug. 16 to discuss his Aug. 10 report calling for a Community Investment Strategy that challenges the region to make smarter and more efficient public investments to develop safe, sustainable and economically prosperous communities.
In the discussion, Jordan emphasized the need to target existing investments in public structures—such as transportation, sewers, sidewalks and others—more efficiently to support private development to serve future growth in the region's town and regional centers, employment areas and transportation corridors. He underscored the important roles the private and non-profit sectors play in helping the public sector identify strategies to spend existing resources more efficiently to meet the needs of future growth. Jordan and Metro Councilor Robert Liberty encouraged 1000 Friends of Oregon to get engaged in a broader regional effort to develop tools and resources that will focus more growth within the existing Urban Growth Boundary.