Opportunity Areas: Our next great neighborhoods
These townhomes in Denmark can house a number of people in a small area, ensuring that access to work, shops, and services remain close and accessible. Photo: Mihai Moisa
Even though Bend has been growing for decades, sometimes seeing that growth in action can feel like a surprise when a once-empty lot is suddenly bustling with construction.
Some feel relief, knowing more housing is coming soon. Maybe a renter sees that development as an opportunity to move into homeownership. On the other hand, some feel a pang of worry if a growing urban footprint will affect a beloved trail system or increase traffic.
There are many different, nuanced attitudes across our community about the growth our city is experiencing. Just mention “housing” in any conversation, and let the reactions roll in.
But there is one thing we know for sure. The development we’re seeing now didn’t happen overnight. They’ve been years in the making.
A rendering of the Century Drive opportunity area: Image from the City of Bend’s Comprehensive Plan
Knowing what has laid the groundwork for today’s construction projects can help us make sense of the changes we’re seeing take place around our community. And it can help us ensure that future growth and development is planned for and managed in ways that deliver the kinds of neighborhoods we want to see: safe, vibrant, and inclusive places where you don’t always need a car to get around. There really is a method to the madness.
“Opportunity Areas” in the City of Bend are the places that will likely see development in the coming years as they transform into more vibrant, complete neighborhoods.
What’s an opportunity area?
There are a lot of people moving here right now. Where are they all going to go? Good question. And good news: Bend’s got a game plan to address this.
All cities across Oregon have an urban growth boundary that directs where most residential housing can be built. When a city identifies a need for more land to accommodate a growing population, its urban growth boundary (UGB) expands outward. For example, when the City of Bend last grew its urban growth boundary in 2016, the City accounted for and planned for 20 years of projected population growth. The City of Sisters is in the midst of this process right now.
During the City of Bend’s 2016 UGB process, two types of places were identified to best handle growth: Expansion areas and Opportunity areas.
Opportunity areas identify places within the city where there is underdeveloped land close to existing infrastructure, businesses, and amenities. This could be an area with vacant lots, a string of parcels with a building or two in place, or places where zoning allows for more houses and businesses to be built than what is there now. These are called opportunity areas: places that can be used more efficiently, may have some existing infrastructure to tap into, and are well suited to accommodate growth.
“The Elbow”, a Southeast Bend expansion area. Click map for a larger view.
Expansion areas identify new areas that will be brought into the city’s urban growth boundary, which means they officially become a part of the city and can receive services, pay city taxes, and can be developed into complete communities, designed with housing, transportation, and access to schools and services in mind.
Learn more about an expansion area in Southeast Bend that will become a new complete neighborhood.
What’s happening in Bend’s opportunity areas?
The City of Bend has identified nine opportunity areas. If you see new developments emerge, there is a good chance they fall in one of these opportunity areas. By focusing development inside our city limits, we prevent the need to sprawl outward into our farms, forests and deserts. Not only does this keep nature nearby, it also reduces the time and distance people need to travel, reduces traffic and related greenhouse gas emissions, and ensures people can live closer to the businesses and service areas they need.
Bend’s identified Opportunity AreaS
Map from the City of Bend. Click on the map for a larger view.
East Downtown
Inner Hwy 20/Greenwood
Central West Side/Century Drive
KorPine
Juniper Ridge
SE 15th Street
COID Property
River Rim
If you are interested in getting the whole picture, you can read more about the City of Bend’s plans for growth.
Curious to see what kinds of projects are happening in some of these opportunity areas?
Learn more about a proposed project in KorPine next to the Box Factory with a Bend Bulletin article here.
Dive into a proposed project in the Bend Central District that could include 139 mixed-use residential units along with commercial uses on a former RV site.
Bend’s opportunity areas won’t necessarily see an increase in development anytime soon. There is no requirement that development happen. But there is a requirement that Bend look to these areas first to meet development needs before expanding outward by adding more land to the Urban Growth Boundary.
Bend’s opportunity areas give us a method to the madness
We love a good takeaway.
Bend is growing.
Our role is to ensure that growth happens in the most sustainable way possible. That growth should be managed in ways that foster livability for the people that live and work here - and those that will be. Residential development should be happening in ways that deliver more complete neighborhoods and provide more affordable housing options.
Not only can we direct growth within our existing city limits, but we can help ensure that the development sparked by that growth leads to better livability and more complete neighborhoods in our city and neighborhoods. Even better, when we manage growth this way, we’re protecting and supporting our surrounding wild places, farm lands, and wildlife.
Twenty years from now, we want to look around and have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink. We want to hold on to flourishing rural and agricultural economies and make sure that everyone has close access to outdoor spaces.
If we play our cards right, making the most of Bend’s Opportunity Areas can help us get there.
Support our Cities and Towns Program
Central Oregon’s population is growing at an unprecedented pace, increasing the need for smart planning and development strategies that ensure the ongoing livability of our communities. Our Cities & Towns Program is working to ensure Central Oregon has complete and vibrant neighborhoods accessible to all.