In built-out areas of Oregon, the only remaining developable land is on often located on contaminated brownfields, although in some cases the government has stepped in to provide funding for clean up.
"Portland's hot real estate market has devoured vacant property and inflated prices on the remaining scraps of land.
Now, pressure is on to reclaim former industrial sites where contamination has stalled development.
Several local governments are studying these abandoned properties -- known as brownfields -- and trying to help transform them into productive businesses. If they succeed, today's ghost of a gas station could become condominiums or a neighborhood pub."
"'If you're looking to do something really close in, these are the only sites left,' says Clark Henry, who promotes industrial redevelopment for the city of Portland. 'Some of it is just people coming down to reality. "This is what we have to do. We develop these, or we leave."'"
FULL STORY: The greening of brownfields
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie