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Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities
Advancing Eugene's climate action, housing production, and transportation goals
In March of 2020, Governor Kate Brown issued an executive order directing state agencies to take actions to reduce and regulate greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change while also centering the needs of Oregon’s most vulnerable communities. In response, the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission developed new requirements, the Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) rules, for cities to help meet these goals through changes to local transportation and housing planning systems. Eugene and Springfield, among other metropolitan areas across the state, are required to change development standards to encourage more climate-friendly development and reduce emissions. This page outlines Eugene's efforts to implement the CFEC requirements.
Project Goals
Through CFEC implementation, the City of Eugene will accomplish the following goals:
- Comply with the Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities requirements
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and housing
- Provide more climate-friendly housing and transportation options
- Center the voices of historically marginalized community groups in decision-making
Implementation
To implement the new requirements, the City of Eugene will advance a few key strategies through 2026, including:
- Plan for more housing and jobs in Climate-Friendly Areas such as in downtown, in commercial centers, and along key corridors designed so people can live, work, and play without having to drive
- Reduce parking requirements for certain types of development and in certain areas, such as along frequent bus routes, to free up land for housing and other services, support pedestrian-friendly design, and reduce housing costs
- Prepare for a future with more electric vehicles by ensuring new mixed-use and multi-family housing development provides charging infrastructure
- Plan for more climate-friendly transportation options so that people can walk, bike, roll, and take the bus safely and easily
- Plan for more pedestrian-friendly and compact development across the city so neighborhoods are more connected
- Throughout the process, center the voices of historically marginalized community groups and improve equitable transportation and housing outcomes, particularly for those who have been harmed by past planning, climate, and transportation decisions
- Track progress towards achieving more equitable outcomes in transportation and housing, increasing housing production, and supporting areas where people can bike and walk more easily across the city
Luckily, these are projects that residents and Eugene City Council have already supported through other community projects such as the Climate Action Plan 2.0, Envision Eugene, the Housing Implementation Pipeline, continued investments in downtown, affordable housing, and active transportation infrastructure, as well as other sustainability, housing, and transportation projects. CFEC will result in updates to the Eugene Land Use Code, revisions to the Envision Eugene Comprehensive Plan and 2035 Transportation System Plan, as well as revised requirements for development permits.
- What is Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities?
- What parts of Eugene will be affected?
- What is a Climate-Friendly Area?
- How will Climate-Friendly Areas be selected?
- Will downtown be a Climate-Friendly Area? How does the designation interact with Urban Renewal and other existing downtown projects and priorities?
- Will this project lead to displacement?
Stay Connected and Updated
This page will be regularly updated as CFEC evolves. Make sure to follow CFEC on Engage Eugene to find opportunities for public participation. For project-specific information, see the project tabs below. As new implementation projects begin, tabs will be added.
CFEC Public Meetings: Implementation Overview
- Eugene Planning Commission, April 11, 2023 (agenda and webcast)
- Eugene Sustainability Commission, November 16, 2022 (agenda and webcast)
- Eugene City Council, September 12, 2022 (agenda and webcast)
- Eugene Planning Commission, August 23, 2022 (agenda and webcast)
For project-specific meetings, see the project tabs below.
Parking Reform
On November 13, 2023, the Eugene City Council adopted Ordinance 20699 to implement city-wide parking reform in alignment with state requirements. This decision eliminates minimum off-street parking requirements citywide, effective December 31, 2023. The City Council considered three options as provided in the state requirements.
The City Council decision aligns with a recommendation from the Eugene Planning Commission to eliminate minimum off-street parking requirements citywide. In addition to being the most straightforward of the three options to draft and implement, most stakeholders expressed a preference for this option.
Additionally, the adopted changes to the land use code include the following parking regulation improvements:
- Preferential placement of carpool/vanpool parking
- Allow redevelopment of any portion of a parking lot for bike or transit uses
- Allow and encourage redevelopment of underused parking
- Allow and facilitate shared parking
- New developments with parking lots more than ½ half acre in size must install 40% tree canopy OR solar panels; require street trees along driveways
- Establish parking maximums in appropriate locations
- Codify required parking reforms that have already taken effect, including new electric vehicle charging requirements
Public Involvement
From March to May 2023, the City hosted 9 individual interviews, small group conversations with 62 participants, discussions at two tabling events attended by 180+ participants, a virtual information session with 18 participants, and collected 437 online survey responses. Involvement included proactive outreach to Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color, the LGBTQ+ community, Spanish speaking residents, people experiencing disabilities, neighborhood groups, and groups affiliated with affordable housing, transportation, environment, development, and more.
Read the full Public Involvement Summary here.
Public Meetings & Testimony
CFEC Parking Reform began the formal adoption process in June. Both the Planning Commission and the City Council held work sessions, public hearings, and deliberations. Review previous meeting agendas and webcasts below.
- June 13: Planning Commission Work Session (agenda and webcast)
- June 27: Planning Commission Public Hearing (agenda and webcast)
- July 25: Planning Commission Deliberations (agenda and webcast)
- August 1: Planning Commission Deliberations and Action (agenda and webcast)
- September 13: City Council Work Session (agenda and webcast)
- September 18: City Council Public Hearing (agenda and webcast)
- November 13: City Council Deliberations and Adoption (agenda and webcast)
Public testimony is no longer being accepted on the Parking Reform code amendments. Written testimony shared with the City Council is provided in batches below.
Key Dates
- January 1, 2023: Reduced or Removed Parking Minimums
- New development applications may include a minimum off-street parking requirement of no more than 1 parking space per dwelling for residential developments with more than 1 dwelling
- No minimum off-street parking requirements for:
- Properties located within 1/2 mile walking distance of frequent transit corridors (map at right or using link)
- Specific desired types of development like day care, facilities for people with disabilities, shelters, affordable housing, and dwellings less than 750 square feet
- March 31, 2023: New Electric Vehicle Charging Requirements
- New multi-unit residential (5 or more dwellings) or mixed-use developments must install electrical service capacity to accommodate 40% of all vehicle parking spaces.
- December 31, 2023: Parking Reform City-wide
- The City will adopt land use code changes implementing the elimination of or reduction to the minimum off-street parking requirements, including:
- Selecting one of three options for city-wide parking reform
- Implementing improved parking regulations
- Codifying changes that have already gone into effect, including new electric vehicle charging requirements
- The City will adopt land use code changes implementing the elimination of or reduction to the minimum off-street parking requirements, including:
Climate-Friendly Areas
Eugene must adopt regulations to allow for more climate-friendly development in certain areas of the city. Climate-Friendly Areas are parts of the city where people can live, work, and play without relying on a car. The designated areas must be big enough to accommodate plenty of housing, jobs, and services. These areas will likely be established downtown and in some areas that already allow for mixed uses and higher densities, and in alignment with Envision Eugene, the City’s comprehensive plan.
By designating a Climate-Friendly Area, Eugene will update housing and transportation plans for these areas to have:
- Opportunities for increased development where people can live, work, shop, and play
- Improved facilities for walking, bicycling, and transit so people can reach destinations without depending on a car
- Reduced minimum off-street parking requirements to free up land for housing and other services
- More equitable outcomes for historically marginalized community groups and mitigate potential displacement
To help the state meet its climate goals, more development will need to occur in urban areas where people are less dependent on their cars. Over the last 100 years planning practices have served to separate activities, creating greater inequities within cities and widespread dependence upon the automobile to meet daily needs. Climate-Friendly Areas will help to reverse these negative trends.
Designating Climate-Friendly Areas: A Look into the Process
Climate-Friendly Areas are higher-density areas of the city where people can live, work, and play without relying on a car. Learn more about Climate-Friendly Areas here.
Key Dates
- December 31, 2023: Submit a study to the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development of areas that could be designated as Climate-Friendly Areas. The study will include an equity analysis and suggested strategies to prevent and mitigate displacement.
- December 31, 2026: Designate Climate-Friendly Areas through comprehensive plan and land use code changes, ensuring the designated areas:
- Accommodate 30% of the total dwellings needed to serve Eugene’s existing and future housing needs
- Allow a mix of higher density housing, jobs, businesses, and services
- Limit auto-centric land uses
- Allow development of higher densities, taller buildings, and mixed uses
- Require a high level of pedestrian-oriented design standards
- Invest in walking, cycling, and transit infrastructure
Contact Us
Public Involvement Lead
Leah Rausch
Associate Planner
LRausch@eugene-or.gov
Climate-Friendly Areas
Leah Rausch
Associate Planner
LRausch@eugene-or.gov
Climate-Friendly Transportation
Rob Inerfeld
Transportation Planning Manager
rinerfeld@eugene-or.gov