Oregon's Measure 37 Heading Back To The Ballot

In Oregon, the controversial land use law Measure 37 is on its way back to the ballot this November, as lawmakers look to limit the development rights granted by the measure in 2004.

1 minute read

June 13, 2007, 1:00 PM PDT

By Nate Berg


"The Legislature is sending voters a plan to scale back Measure 37, the three-year-old law that opened the door to rural development."

"Democrats and environmentalists are promoting the rewrite, which would limit many rural landowners to three homes and make it nearly impossible to build more than 10. Republicans have teamed up with property rights advocates to fight the ballot referral, saying it's an insult to voters who passed Measure 37."

"Courts tossed out a 2000 ballot measure that required governments to pay landowners who have lost the right to develop. In 2004, 61 percent of voters supported the next incarnation: Measure 37. Now, governments must let people use their land however they could have when they bought it -- or pay for lost value."

"More than 7,500 applications have been filed, mostly in the countryside surrounding growth hot spots, such as the Portland suburbs, Hood River and Medford. Only a smattering of small developments are under way, but larger projects are a possibility."

Monday, June 11, 2007 in The Oregonian

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

A close up of an American flag in front of the Capitol building.

Democrats’ victory may threaten act to expedite energy projects

Democrats may decide to vote against the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, and negotiate a more favorable bill once the 120th Congress begins.

15 minutes ago - Inside Climate News

People sit in a bus with blue trim

Voters choose public transit, approve $31 billion in funding

Approved projects include $101,000 for reduced-cost transit in a Michigan town and $14 billion for regional transit in the San Francisco Bay Area.

1 hour ago - Smart Cities Dive

People walking and cycling on a street in Boston.

Study reveals best places in the U.S. for cycling, walking

New research from Streetlight Data examines bicycle and pedestrian miles per capita in the 100 largest U.S. cities by population.

2 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.