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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?
- Will this project lead to displacement?
- If these requirements are from the state, how do we make sure the implementation meets Eugene's specific needs?
- When and how will you involve the public? How can neighborhood associations or other groups get involved?
Stay Connected and Updated
This page will be regularly updated as CFEC evolves. For project-specific information, see the project tabs below. As new implementation projects begin, additional 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
Eugene will follow a state-required approach to reduce or remove minimum parking requirements for certain types of development, such as smaller housing types, childcare facilities, affordable housing, and shelters. The City must completely remove minimum parking requirements within one-half mile walking distance of frequent transit corridors and certain areas where parking demand is lower. Eugene will also select one of three options to reform parking requirements city-wide.
Additionally, the State of Oregon has an adopted goal that 90% of new vehicles sold will be electric by 2035. To help meet that goal, the City needs to ensure people can charge their vehicles. The most convenient place to do so is at home. As a part of CFEC parking reform, new multi-unit housing and mixed-use development (with multi-unit housing) will be required to include electrical conduit (pipes) to 40% of their parking spots, ready for adding wiring and charging stations to support electric vehicles as the market expands.
Read a summary of parking reform requirements and policy options here.
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.
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
- April 1, 2023: New Electric Vehicle Charging Requirements
- New private multi-unit residential (5 or more dwellings) or mixed-use developments must install electrical service capacity to accommodate 40% of all vehicle parking spaces.
- January 1, 2024: 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.
- The City will implement improved parking regulations, including:
- Preferential placement of carpool/vanpool parking
- Allow redevelopment of any portion of a parking lot for bike or transit
- Allow and encourage redevelopment of underused parking
- Allow and facilitate shared parking
- Require new developments with parking lots more than 1/4 acre in size to install 50% tree canopy or solar panels
- Require street trees and street-like facilities along driveways
- Implement parking maximums in appropriate locations
Parking Reform Public Meetings
- Eugene Sustainability Commission, January 18, 2023 (Agenda and webcast)
- Eugene Planning Commission, November 22, 2022 (Agenda and webcast)
- Eugene City Council, September 28, 2022 (Agenda and webcast)
To submit questions or comments regarding CFEC Parking Reform, please email: CFECParking@eugene-or.gov.
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, 2024: 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