Spring Break
Students pitch in on Oregon land use planning
OSU-based government agency Institute for Natural Resources works with universities to grow
Gail Cole
Issue date: 10/16/08 Section: News
Oregon has the reputation for being environmentally friendly - now there is proof.
Thanks to the investigation and research of several professors and graduate students within the Oregon University System, Oregon has been found to have made several improvements to its Land Use Plan since 1973.
"Land Use Planning: An Assessment of Selected Goals" was compiled by the OSU-based Institute for Natural Resources, and worked with researchers from OSU, Portland State University and University of Oregon as well as the U.S. Department of Forestry.
According to the report, Oregon's Department of Land Conservation and Development asked the INR to find if the Oregon Land Use Plan was meeting its goals, including those of increasing citizen involvement, conserving forest and farm land, controlling population growth and protecting waterways.
The study analyzed over 140 previous research articles to find information that compared how factors in Oregon's Land Use Plan have changed.
"Each of these articles were picked to the bone," said Lisa Gaines, associate director of the INR and investigator in the study.
The analysis of the area of citizen participation was the only study of the report done by the INR.
Gaines said Richard Whitman, director of the DLCD, requested this report be done quickly.
"We did this in less than 10 weeks," Gaines said.
Since 1973 the Oregon Land Use Plan has set 19 specific goals for land use planning, according to the DLCD. These goals are not mandatory for state and local governments, but Oregon cities and counties are required by law to develop a plan to put these land use goals in place.
As indicated in the report, areas of success were in preserving the agricultural land base, revitalizing downtown areas and decreasing racial segregation. Gaines explained these goals are related to land use planning since they apply to the objective of "having more compact living and the idea of people not spreading out so far into broader rural lands."
Thanks to the investigation and research of several professors and graduate students within the Oregon University System, Oregon has been found to have made several improvements to its Land Use Plan since 1973.
"Land Use Planning: An Assessment of Selected Goals" was compiled by the OSU-based Institute for Natural Resources, and worked with researchers from OSU, Portland State University and University of Oregon as well as the U.S. Department of Forestry.
According to the report, Oregon's Department of Land Conservation and Development asked the INR to find if the Oregon Land Use Plan was meeting its goals, including those of increasing citizen involvement, conserving forest and farm land, controlling population growth and protecting waterways.
The study analyzed over 140 previous research articles to find information that compared how factors in Oregon's Land Use Plan have changed.
"Each of these articles were picked to the bone," said Lisa Gaines, associate director of the INR and investigator in the study.
The analysis of the area of citizen participation was the only study of the report done by the INR.
Gaines said Richard Whitman, director of the DLCD, requested this report be done quickly.
"We did this in less than 10 weeks," Gaines said.
Since 1973 the Oregon Land Use Plan has set 19 specific goals for land use planning, according to the DLCD. These goals are not mandatory for state and local governments, but Oregon cities and counties are required by law to develop a plan to put these land use goals in place.
As indicated in the report, areas of success were in preserving the agricultural land base, revitalizing downtown areas and decreasing racial segregation. Gaines explained these goals are related to land use planning since they apply to the objective of "having more compact living and the idea of people not spreading out so far into broader rural lands."
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