Bend First to Comply With Oregon's Statewide Upzoning Law

Oregon made history in 2019 by being the first state to adopt statewide legislation to end single-family zoning. Now, Bend is the first city of more than 25,000 people to comply with that historic legislation.

1 minute read

September 21, 2021, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


An aerial image of Bend, Oregon, covered in snow in the winter. The Deschutes River cuts through the middle of town, below an old mill.

Mike Albright Photography / Shutterstock

"After a two-year-long process, Bend has become one of the first Oregon cities to be in compliance with a state law that pushes for the creation of more diverse types of housing," reports Brenna Visser.

The Bend City Council earlier this month approved a "large set of development codes" to bring the city up to date with the requirements of House Bill 2001, approved in 2019 and implemented in 2020.

"The code changes require that triplexes, duplexes and town homes be allowed in any residential zone where a single-family home is allowed," reports Visser. "The package of code changes also lowers parking requirements for developers and includes more stringent regulation of short-term rentals."

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