Agriculture vs. Business on Portland's Growth Boundary

Hillsboro, Oregon, a suburb of Portland, is an ambitious town on the urban growth boundary that is eager to expand into the farmland next door. How will Portland's system of growth-slowing government respond?

1 minute read

January 6, 2010, 2:00 PM PST

By Tim Halbur


This article by Zach Dundas covers the more recent decisions in the Portland metro area to create "rural reserves", locking down some areas for up to 50 years in order to preserve their status through a fickle political process. Helvetia, the farming community that Hillsboro wants to absorb, is a candidate for preservation.

Dundas writes, "The intent was to create some long-term certainty. Certainty is big for farmers, who often face decisions that can affect their businesses for decades."

Meanwhile, a case can be made for Hillsboro's desire to remake Helvetia into office parks and industrial buildings.

"Intel, the silicon-processor giant, built manufacturing and advanced research facilities here in the 1970s, and today employs more than 15,000 people in the area. Other tech, manufacturing, logistics, and research businesses piggyback on Intel's massive presence."

Monday, January 4, 2010 in GOOD Magazine

"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

Nithya Ramen talks to an older man. She is smiling and wearing a yellow dress. They are both outside.

Los Angeles just elected an urban planner as its mayor

Transportation analysts are optimistic that Raman will be more aggressive in addressing transit issues than Bass.

6 hours ago - Los Angeles Times

Mamdani behind a microphone, in front of a snowbank

Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge

A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.

November 6 - CNN

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6 - Grist

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.