Urban Reserves


Planning for the Next Two Generations

Urban Reserves are a special designation, allowed by state law, for lands outside the urban growth boundary (UGB) that can be considered a first priority if and when Eugene needs to expand for its growing population. Land designated as Urban Reserves will remain rural, and cannot be urbanized, unless it is brought into the city’s UGB through a formal process for expansion.


Eugene’s UGB is currently projected to have enough land for our population through 2032. Since population and development trends can change, Urban Reserves allows us to plan beyond 2032. Urban Reserves will identify enough land for the housing, parks, schools, and jobs needed by Eugene’s population in the long-term future (between 2032 and 2062) while implementing the area’s regional open space vision, including preservation of significant farm and forest land, waterways, and natural resources.

Urban Reserves Options—Ready for Review

Urban Reserves Timeline Phases

With the help of many stakeholders, we have completed the project’s technical and suitability analysis and have developed a range of Urban Reserve Options for review. We will take these options—with the input we receive—to City and County decision-makers later this summer and fall for their direction, with a goal for adoption by next spring.


The options, and the work that led us there, are described in the Urban Reserve Options Story Map, below. It gives project background, explains the high-level pros and cons of each option, and is interactive. After you visit the Options Story Map, check out our Engage Eugene page: it includes our online survey, more project materials, and a link to sign-up for virtual office hours with project staff.

Story Map Button

Urban Reserves Survey—Tell Us What You Think! 


After reviewing the story map, please share your thoughts! Take our short survey on our Engage Eugene Urban Reserves Virtual Open House page-- it should take about 15 minutes or less. There are four Urban Reserve options to provide input on. Take the survey between June 26th and July 26th and be entered into a drawing for a $100 grocery gift card. 


While you are checking out our Virtual Open House, you can participate in the Engage Eugene Q & A, sign up for virtual office hours, or review additional information that will be added all month.


Frequently Asked Questions

How we got here

Technical Analysis


Check out the Technical Analysis Story Map below for an interactive visual essay of the Urban Reserves technical analysis, which includes four major parts:


  • Establishing a study area
  • Estimating future land need (how much land do we need for homes and jobs over the next 50 years?)
  • Estimating the land supply (how much developable land do we have for these future neighborhoods?)
  • Conducting a capacity analysis (how many homes and jobs can be accommodated on this land?)

The Land Need Infographic has more details on the estimate of land needed for Urban Reserves.


Please note that the story map works best in Chrome.


Story map thumbnail

Suitability Analysis

After completing our technical analysis, we developed suitability criteria to further evaluate our study area. These suitability criteria were based on the state-directed outline of analysis and reflect the City’s Triple Bottom Line Framework. We subdivided the study area into 18 subareas and structured the analysis to explicitly address the suitability criteria.


The suitability analysis evaluates all the developable land in the study area by considering it in terms of the following four factors (dictated by state rules), then dismisses land that, on balance, would be unsuitable for Urban Reserves based on this evaluation:


  1. Efficient accommodation of identified land needs 
  2. Orderly and economic provision of public facilities and services
  3. Comparative environmental, energy, economic and social consequences
  4. Compatibility of the proposed urban uses with nearby agricultural and forest activities occurring on farm and forest land outside the UGB

The Urban Reserves Draft Suitability Map shows the results of our suitability analysis. Land that is ‘suitable’ was moved forward for further consideration; it will not necessarily become Urban Reserves. The amount of suitable land in the study area is slightly more than the amount of land needed for the largest Urban Reserve option, so additional land was removed from consideration as the Urban Reserve options were developed.

To review our draft analysis by subarea:


Suitability Analysis Reports were developed for 16 subareas, listed below. File sizes are large and may take time to download.


Suitable Lands Web Map


The Urban Reserves Suitable Lands Web Map is an interactive map that shows the results of the suitability analysis. Search for your property and see detailed taxlot-level information. This webmap is part of our preliminary analysis – it does not show Urban Reserve Options – see the Options Story Map for more on that.

Link to Interactive Web Map

January 2020 Public Open Houses


We held three meetings for residents in January with over 125 attendees. It was an opportunity to get updated on Urban Reserves, hear about next steps, and have questions answered. Review the information provided at the Open Houses below:

Urban Reserves Open House

Open House Materials


Guiding the Process


Two important documents guide Urban Reserves planning. The Public Involvement Plan outlines the outreach process, key stakeholders, and how various groups can help shape the project. The Draft Project Charter is an internal document that outlines scope of the project and key milestones.


A variety of groups are lending their time and expertise to this process. Check out the full list of committee and team members, including a Triple Bottom Line Sounding Board, a service provider working group, a technical advisory committee, and the project management team.

Envision Eugene Technical Advisory Committee


In August 2018, the City Manager appointed 13 community volunteers to serve on the Envision Eugene Technical Advisory Committee (EETAC), a new department-level advisory committee that has been playing a key role in both the Urban Reserves and Growth Monitoring projects. Members have a wide variety of interests and come from around the City, with one representative living outside the UGB.


The EETAC been guiding Urban Reserves Planning by reviewing technical information that will be used to inform policy decisions, providing feedback to staff on technical-related issues, and reviewing assumptions and analysis related to long-term growth management-related efforts. You can keep up to date on their work at the EETAC project webpage, which includes the member roster and meeting materials. 

Stay Informed

Interested in keeping tabs on the urban reserves planning work? Sign up to be on our interested parties list! We will send you monthly project updates through the EUG Planning newsletter and notify you of upcoming meetings and opportunities.

Upcoming Public Meetings

  • Urban Reserves Virtual Open House, June 26-July 26. Visit the Open House on Engage Eugene.
  • Envision Eugene Technical Advisory Committee, July 16, 2020, 5:30-8:00 pm. In response to COVID 19, upcoming EETAC meetings will be conducted on Zoom. Meeting login information will be on the agenda posted on the EETAC page. 

Past Public Meetings

Contact Us

  1. Planning Division


    Rebecca Gershow
    Senior Planner Urban Reserves
    99 W. 10th Avenue
    Eugene, OR 97401
    Ph: 541-682-8816

    Email
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