Complete Communities: People-Focused & Planet-Friendly

As Oregon grows, we have a golden opportunity to create "complete communities" that cost families less, support healthy lifestyles and curb pollution. 

Smart Community Design Supports People and the Planet

Community design is key to quality of life. When homes, shops, workplaces, schools and other daily destinations are located near each other, neighborhoods are more active and vibrant, and people don’t have to drive as far. When communities are designed to give people more opportunities to walk, bike and take transit, people don’t have to drive as much. These "complete communities" offer many benefits: families don’t pay as much for transportation, public infrastructure costs tend to be lower, more walking and bicycling leads to better health, and less pollution is generated.

Benefits of Complete Communities

Lower infrastructure costs and farmland protection: Many studies comparing compact growth to sprawl have found that the total costs of buildings, land, infrastructure and transportation are far less in compact communities. And curtailing sprawl reduces pressure to expand urban development onto Oregon's valuable farmland.

Lower household costs and larger economic benefits: Transportation is the second largest expense for most households. In communities with transportation choices, families can save a bundle on cars and gas. In the Portland region, where residents travel about 20% fewer miles by car than residents of other major U.S. metropolitan areas, transportation cost savings are calculated at $1.1 billion per year. Every dollar not spent on imported oil frees up money for local goods and services that benefit Oregon’s economy.

Healthy lifestyles and more time with family: In many communities, people have no choice but to drive. Even short trips can’t be done by foot or on a bicycle. This has led to more sedentary lifestyles where people don’t get the exercise they need. And when people have to drive long distances in heavy traffic, they have less time to spend with their families. Complete communities reduce commute times and support walking and bicycling.

Consumers get what they want: A 2011 study by the National Association of Realtors found a majority of Americans prefer smart growth neighborhoods over neighborhoods that require more driving between home, work and recreation.

Cleaner air and water and a more stable climate: In Oregon, cars and trucks are responsible for more than half of our air pollution and more than one-third of our carbon dioxide emissions. When we drive less, we generate less pollution -- keeping smog and soot at bay and lowering heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions. We also protect our waterways because less polluted water runs off our streets and parking lots.

Steps Oregon Is Taking to Create Complete Communities

The state passed legislation in 2009 and 2010 geared toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) through advanced transportation and land use planning (called "scenario planning") in Oregon's six major metropolitan areas: Portland, Salem/Keizer, Eugene/Springfield, Corvallis, Bend, and Medford. This scenario planning and related tools and resources will help Oregon communities large and small create vibrant neighborhoods and provide more transportation options.

The Portland region is required to undertake scenario planning and adopt a plan that meets population and employment growth while also reducing the region’s share of necessary reductions of transportation-related GHGs. The Eugene/Springfield region is required to develop (but not adopt) such a scenario. And all metropolitan areas and interested communities will benefit from the tools and resources for scenario planning being developed by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) through the Oregon Sustainable Transportation Initiative:

• The Land Conservation and Development Commission has set transportation-related GHG reduction targets for 2035 for each metropolitan area.
• Guidelines for scenario planning and a state-level strategy to reduce GHGs from transportation are under development.
• ODOT will soon post a toolkit to assist local governments and metropolitan planning organizations in reducing GHGs from transportation.
• ODOT and DLCD are conducting outreach about the need to reduce GHGs from transportation and the costs and benefits of doing so.

Metro (the metropolitan planning organization for the Portland region) is well underway in its efforts and has developed a Strategy Toolbox that details the latest research on GHG reduction strategies and the benefits they bring to the region.

image by flickr user My Standard Break From Life