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Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities

The Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities program aims to reduce climate pollution, provide more transportation and housing choices, and promote more equitable land use planning outcomes.

The program strengthens Oregon's transportation and housing planning in regions with populations over 50,000 people (Albany, Bend, Corvallis, Eugene/Springfield, Grants Pass, Medford/Ashland, Portland Metro, and Salem/Keizer).

Local Support and Grants

DLCD helping local governments implement the  program through direct staff-to-staff assistance, advising, and guidance. The department is also providing direct funding or consultant assistance to many communities.

Walkability Model Code Project

The Walkability Model Code will help cities and counties implement Oregon Administrative Rule 660-012-0330, which requires updates of land use regulations to improve urban design. The model code will be available fall of 2024. A Technical Advisory Committee will guide the work (meeting materials may be viewed here). 

Meetings can be watched live or recorded on DLCD’s YouTube channel

Submit comments on the code to dlcd.cfec@dlcd.oregon.gov.

Annual Reporting Guidance

Local governments are required to submit annual reports on their progress, due May 31 each year. Most years minor reports are due; some years major reports are due. 

The Housing Connection

The CFEC program works closely with our housing programs.

Office Hours

Office hours, drop-in sessions for local governments and other parties to ask questions about the CFEC program to DLCD and ODOT staff, are scheduled:

Equity Resources

Climate-Friendly Areas 

A clilmate-friendly area is a mixed-use area with housing, jobs, businesses, and services located near one another. Climate-friendly areas allow residents, employees, and visitors to meet more of their daily needs with shorter and fewer driving trips.

Parking Reform Guidance and Assistance

Alternative Dates and Exemptions

Rules Language

A printable version of the Transportation Planning Rules (TPR) can be found here for convenience only:  TPR 

E-mail Updates 

Subscribe to email updates about this implementation work, including when resources are published, question and answer sessions, and more.

Court Ruling

The department filed the permanent Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities rules adopted by the commission with the Secretary of State in July 2022.  On March 6, 2024, the Oregon Court of Appeals affirmed the overall validity of the 89 rules adopted by the commission (ruling). The court ruled the commission has the authority to adopt these rules, except for one subsection within one rule. The court also affirmed the commission followed the correct procedures to adopt the rules, except for one subsection within one rule. DLCD will continue to work with cities and counties to implement the overall program as we review the decision and possible implications.

Local Government Program Pages

As communities work on the climate-friendly and equitable communities program, many have set up program-specific web pages. Links:

Background and Program Basics

Oregon is striving to meet statutory goals and policy to reduce climate pollution, including the roughly 36% of climate pollution that comes from transportation. Unfortunately, Oregon is off-track in our efforts to reduce how often and how far Oregonians have to drive to meet their daily needs.

To course correct, the Land Conservation and Development Commission updated Oregon's Transportation Planning Rules and related administrative rules. After two years of extensive community engagement, the commission adopted the Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities program on July 21, 2022, and subsequently adopted corrections, clarifications, and adjustments.

More background on the rulemaking process.

To help communities implement this program, staff will post resources on this page as they are developed. ODOT's web site has additional assistance resources.




Contacts

Evan Manvel Climate Mitigation Planner evan.manvel@dlcd.oregon.govPhone: 971-375-5979

Cody Meyer Land Use and Transportation Planner cody.meyer@dlcd.oregon.gov Phone: 971-239-9475