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.

CFEC Cityscape Blue Badge

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.

  1. What is Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities?
  2. What parts of Eugene will be affected?
  3. What is a Climate-Friendly Area?
  4. Will this project lead to displacement?
  5. If these requirements are from the state, how do we make sure the implementation meets Eugene's specific needs?
  6. When and how will you involve the public? How can neighborhood associations or other groups get involved?
View All

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

For project-specific meetings, see the project tabs below.

  1. Parking Reform
  2. Climate-Friendly Areas

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.Parking Reform Logo. City-scape with car and electric vehicle charging station. Opens in new window

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 InvolvementBIPOC Community Event

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 MinimumsCFEC Parking Reform Walking Distance Map Revised 022123 reduced Opens in new window
    • 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

To submit questions or comments regarding CFEC Parking Reform, please email: CFECParking@eugene-or.gov.

Contact Us

Public Involvement Lead

Leah Rausch
Associate Planner
LRausch@eugene-or.gov

Parking Reform

Reid Verner
Land Use Supervisor
RVerner@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