Finding a Middle Ground Between Rural and Urban

Landowner Larry Thompson is seeking to revise the way land use regulators divide up land along the urban growth boundary in the Portland region by mixing agricultural land and community development.

"If it's done nothing else, Oregon has drawn a bright line between urban and rural. Development occurs within tight growth boundaries; farming and forestry happen out in the country. Period.

Thompson says it's time to blur those lines.

'Instead of saying, 'Here's the boundary for growth,' maybe we should start with the farm first and create the community around farms,' he says. 'That's my intent.'"