“If people thrive, in the way we should thrive, we should be able to do that in a way that the planet thrives… but yet we’ve created this narrow view of sustainability that actually excludes people from the equation. The trick is now to figure out the entry points that get working together, building our infrastructure in communities so that we can start working on this collectively across race, but without ignoring the salience of race.”
— Maya Wiley from the 2008 Regional Livability Summit

The 2008 Regional Livability Summit was an inspiring, insightful, fabulous success. More than 300 leaders from across the metropolitan region gathered for the day to build relationships, learn from one another, discuss policy and strategy, and broaden understanding around how to advance equity as part of our region’s sustainability agenda. Highlights from the Summit, some of the presentations shared that day, a proceedings report, and more can be found online here.

What’s next?

We’re using the results gathered from the Summit breakouts and caucuses, as well as the community outreach process that led up to the Summit, to prepare the Regional Equity Action Agenda. The agenda will contain recommendations–specific public policy changes, investment strategies, public education strategies and more–for expanding opportunity in our communities. And, just like we needed your help in creating the agenda, we’ll need your help in moving it forward. Over the next couple of months, we’ll be in touch about getting involved in this effort. So, please stay tuned.

In the meantime, keep sharing your ideas online through our feedback forums at www.equityatlas.org, and send us notices about regional equity events, news, reports and more to post on our Regional Equity Listserve (To join the Regional Equity Listserve click here and look for the sign-up form on the lower left hand column).

The Summit may be over, but the hard work of advancing equity in our communities continues. It is an honor to share this work with all of you.

Thank you,
Jill Fuglister and Ron Carley, Co-Directors

P.S. In the next six months, the Coalition for a Livable Future is working to create a stable foundation for the Regional Equity Atlas Project, upon which CLF will help build a movement for equitable development. This foundation will solidify the Atlas and CLF’s role in making equity, equality, and opportunity for all a reality in our region. If you value the work of the Coalition and projects such as the Regional Equity Atlas and our annual Livability Summit please join us in this effort and consider supporting us by becoming a member or offering a donation in support of this important effort. Thank you!

Coalition for a Livable Future | 107 SE Washington, Suite 239 | Portland | OR | 97214

What can people accomplish when they put differences behind them and look for solutions together? Perhaps they will be able to solve the serious long-term traffic and transportation problems in west Eugene.

Over a year ago, business, environment, government and community leaders came together to attempt just that. Calling ourselves the West Eugene Collaborative, we have taken a fresh look at these long-standing problems and discovered many areas of agreement.

In advance of specific recommendations, a few things are clear. Traffic problems aren’t limited to just west Eugene but extend along Highway 126 all the way to Veneta and beyond, and all jurisdictions must work together in solving them.

We need to look at all modes of transportation—passenger car, truck freight, public transit, rail, bicycle and pedestrian—in crafting a solution. In particular, Lane Transit District’s extension of the EmX system must be developed in coordination with other plans for the area.

The problems are connected to where homes, businesses and other kinds of land uses are located. It is legally and environmentally necessary to protect critical wetlands and other natural resources. However, the nationally recognized West Eugene Wetlands Plan has never been fully reconciled with Eugene’s plans for residential, commercial and industrial development. If critical natural resource areas are off limits to development, we need to identify adequate buildable areas elsewhere.

Any proposed solution must take into consideration future trends, both the anticipated and the unanticipated. The twin threats of rising gasoline prices and concerns around climate change are obvious examples today. We already see people driving less and using alternative modes of transportation, calling into question the projections of even a few years ago. And with the state of Oregon aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change, we need to start planning now to do our part.

Finally, but perhaps most importantly, we can be successful at getting major transportation projects approved and funded only when they enjoy broad support. Thus it makes sense to follow a collaborative approach that aims to bring different perspectives to the table from the start.

The West Eugene Collaborative appreciates the importance of hearing from different perspectives. Before developing recommendations, we would like to hear from people from throughout our community: What are your concerns? What are your ideas for solutions?

Members of the public are invited to attend any of a series of four public forums. Two will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.on July 8—one at Veneta City Hall, and the other at the Petersen Barn Community Center in Eugene. Two others are scheduled for July 10—one from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Eugene Public Library, and the other from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Emerald Valley (the Old Westmoreland Community Center) in Eugene.

Join us in solving traffic problems in west Eugene and beyond. Those who can’t make it to one of our meetings, or who would like more information about the forums, may visit our Website. Forms are available on our Web site for public input.

A recent news story also highlighted the public input opportunities.

The cities of Eugene and Springfield, Lane County, and Lane Council of Governments (LCOG)—all co-sponsors of Lane County Moving Forward Together—are partnering on a number of different regional planning processes. Each will answer critical questions about this region’s future growth. These plans include:

1. Population Projections: How many people will be added to Eugene and Springfield’s populations over the next 20 years? The Lane County region is also working on adopting coordinated population projections in order to provide a common planning base for the region.
2. Land Supply and Demand Assessment: How much land in Eugene and Springfield will be needed to accommodate the increased population? How much land is available to accommodate growth in our Urban Growth Boundary? Under the requirements of House Bill 3337 (2007), the cities of Eugene and Springfield are working to establish separate urban growth boundaries consistent with their jurisdictional area of responsibility.
3. Transportation Planning: How will we get around in the urban area in the future? The Eugene-Springfield Transportation System Plan (TransPlan), which guides transportation system planning and development in the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area, is about to be updated. The Central Lane Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), which guides regional transportation planning and funding in the broader Central Lane urbanized area, is updated every four years and is currently initiating the next update scheduled for completion in the latter half of 2011.

A public open house will be held July 9, 2008, to introduce these projects. The open house will introduce these projects to the general public, describe opportunities for public involvement, ask for general input, and to ask how people prefer to become involved. The open house, which will feature an informal, drop-in format, will be held at:

Wednesday, July 9, 2008
4:30–6:30 PM
Eugene Public Library
Bascom-Tykeson Rooms
100 West 10th Avenue, Eugene

This event will be an informal, drop-in session. Come as you are, and come and go when you need to. This meeting is wheelchair accessible. For the hearing impaired, FM assistive-listening devices are available or an interpreter can be provided with 48 hours notice. To arrange for these services, contact the receptionist at 682-5481. Telecommunications devices for deaf assistance are available at 682-5119.

If you have questions, please contact one of the agency representatives below:

• City of Eugene: Neil Björklund, Principal Planner, AIC, 541-682-5507 or us/or/eugene/ci!bjorklund/h/neil
• City of Springfield: Greg Mott, Planning Manager, 541-726-3774 or us/or/springfield/ci!gmott
• Lane County: Stephanie Schulz, Planner, 541-682-3958 or us/or/lane/co!Schulz/Stephanie
• Lane Council of Governments: Jamon Kent, Local Government Services Program Manager, 541-682-4511 or org/lcog!jkent

For additional information, click here…

To view the invitation postcard, click here…

KRVM interview audio: 12 minutes, 23 seconds, 11.3 MB MP3

1. What did you think about the conference? What worked well? What could we do better next time?
2. What did you learn at the conference? What themes struck you as most important?
3. What additional information would you like to have?
4. What are your ideas for next steps? What can people in the public, private and nonprofit sectors do to keep Lane County moving forward together?

Please post your comments below. Please provide your full name and email address so that we can contact you if questions arise. We will keep your email address confidential.

The Moving Forward Together conference on “smart growth” took place June 11, and urban planning consultant John Fregonese’s talk was of particular interest to us. Since his days as Ashland’s city planner, Fregonese has been a strong, clear voice for sanity in urban planning nationwide, and we liked what he had to say about how cities can take control and shape their built environments for livability, efficiency and aesthetics. Is Eugene in control of its built environment? We remember the chaos and frustration of Eugene’s Land Use Code Update a few years ago. Most of the best and brightest reforms in LUCU got watered down by a weak Council under Mayor Torrey’s leadership, pressure from developer interests, and a city planning staff resistant to change. What did we end up with? More big box stores on the outskirts, more movement toward expanding our urban growth boundary, more development of resource lands, less affordable housing, more car-oriented housing development, a struggling downtown, not even a meaningful solar access code—in short, more “stupid growth.” It’s not been all bad, of course, but clues to our lack of progress include vacant buildings downtown, cutbacks in LTD bus routes and fewer people biking to work than 20 years ago.

So where do we go from here? The conference did shed light on the link between our environment and our economy and pointed us in the right direction. But overcoming inertia requires action and tough decisions. So-called “Green” Eugene is actually many years behind Portland, Corvallis, Ashland and many other cities in progressive planning. Let’s take these good concepts from the conference and put them to work. Nothing less than the future vitality of our city is at stake.

SPRINGFIELD—City officials agree that their city is going to grow—the question is how and where.

With sights set on expanding the urban growth boundary, members of the City Council and Planning Commission on Monday discussed their vision for the city’s economic future.

One year after the state Senate approved a bill that will allow Springfield to set and expand its growth boundary without the approval of adjacent Eugene, a joint work session began identifying just what kind of industry they’d like to have in a potentially larger city. …

What are your ideas for the future of Springfield? Is Springfield better off taking charge of its own destiny, or would it make more sense to link its future to those of neighboring communities?

Lane Transit District will consider cutting the equivalent of four large routes next year as it deals with rising gas prices, a sputtering economy and other factors driving up costs, officials said Monday.

The magnitude of the cuts and the routes affected won’t be finalized until the end of the year. General Manager Mark Pangborn said the board has set a conservative course, and can re-evaluate as the fiscal picture becomes clear.

“This is probably the most reasonable worst-case scenario,” Pangborn said after a four-hour strategic planning session with the LTD board.

The district blames its budget crisis on rising fuel prices, weak payroll tax receipts in a poor economy and the growing cost of Ride Source, a bus service for people with disabilities that the federal government mandates but does not fund.

The board is considering trimming service by 15 percent next year, which would mean dropping more than 45,000 hours of operation annually. A typical large route runs for 12,000 service hours annually, spokesman Andy Vobora said. …

Do you think LTD should live within its budget, even if that means cutting service at a time when ridership has been increasing? Or do you have ideas for how LTD might maintain or even expand its service?

Challenges offer opportunities for people to talk and work together, and to do things better and smarter. We in Lane County have the opportunity to choose how we manage the challenges confronting us.

Some challenges we agree on, even if we aren’t sure of the solutions.

For example, public safety throughout Lane County is threatened by expected cuts to federal timber payments. Eugene, Springfield and other communities recognize the problem isn’t for Lane County government alone: We need to work together to find a solution. Already, the city of Eugene has proposed to help through an innovative funding exchange with Lane County.

Other challenges sometimes divide us.

Last year, the Oregon Legislature passed a special law mandating that Eugene and Springfield maintain separate urban growth boundaries. This new configuration requires planning efforts that reflect the new conditions and still recognize our regional economy and shared future.

Another example: More than a decade after Eugene’s Growth Management Study concluded that most residents want to “Recycle Eugene,” we are working on policies that would preserve the quality of life in our neighborhoods as we live together more densely and continue to seek to grow up, not out.

Still other challenges are new, and we are just coming to grips with them.

Not long ago, people who suggested the supply of oil might not keep up with demand — “peak oil” — were seen as Chicken Littles. Now we read stories daily about the effects of rising fuel costs on every aspect of our lives. People are driving less and taking public transit more. Ironically, Lane Transit District has had to consider reducing services because it, too, is being hit with rising fuel costs.

Across the county, housing prices are falling the most in suburbs with the longest commutes. Thankfully, here in Lane County we aren’t seeing the same kind of drops in home values.

Meanwhile, prices of food and other commodities are rising with the cost of fuel, prompting insecurities and a rethinking of how we use our agricultural lands.

While there remain skeptics of climate change, most now appreciate the connection between the greenhouse gases we produce and changes to our climate. Regions are experiencing wetter or drier weather, warmer or cooler temperatures, and more intense or frequent storms. Change and uncertainty are the name of the game. Here in Lane County, we depend on natural cycles to store adequate water in the winter to use during the summer.

Rising fuel prices, concerns about climate change and dwindling funding for major new roadway projects demand that we rethink how we get from place to place.

Indeed, in a May 30 Register-Guard story about $4 gasoline, Veneta Mayor Tim Brooker says that leaders need to rethink everything from how we repair roads to the plastic items we use.

We must appreciate our diversity and recognize that each community is different and will define “smart growth” for itself. But we also must appreciate that we face a time of great change and great challenges. It’s time to explore ways to achieve our greater common good.

The state is taking a “Big Look” at our land use planning system. It is time to for us in Lane County to take a fresh look together at how we provide affordable housing, living wage jobs and practical transportation choices while protecting our quality of life and the environment.

The National Association of REALTORS® publishes On Common Ground free of charge in order to promote a wide range of views on growth issues, with the goal of encouraging a dialogue among REALTORS®, elected officials and other interested citizens. To obtain On Common Ground and to learn more about smart growth from the REALTORS®, visit www.realtor.org/SG3.nsf.

At an all-day conference on Wednesday in Eugene, we in Lane County can learn from REALTORS® and other experts from across the state and nation about ways to grow better and smarter.

The Lane County Moving Forward Together™ smart growth conference is co-sponsored by the city of Eugene and the Eugene Association of REALTORS®. Other co-sponsors include the Springfield, Cottage Grove, Oregon and National associations of REALTORS®; the city of Springfield, Lane County, the Lane Transit District and the Oregon Transportation and Growth Management Program. For information and registration, visit www.movingforwardtogether.net.

Old and new challenges could affect our quality of life in Lane County. Join us in seeking common ground for moving forward together.

Kitty Piercy is the mayor of Eugene and Marie Due is the president of the Eugene Association of Realtors.

At the Lane County Moving Forward Together™ conference on June 11, 2008, Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy will be moderating the opening session with John Fregonese and participating in the concluding “next steps” panel.

Isn’t “smart growth” an oxymoron, a contradiction in terms? After all, even at 1 percent growth, population will double in one lifetime (72 years) and quadruple in two lifetimes, and how can that be sustainable? So when we heard about the “Moving Forward Together” conference on “smart growth” coming up Wednesday, June 11, at the Hilton downtown, we were skeptical. A few years ago we would have expected the same old line of thinking from a gathering of real estate brokers, local officials and state transportation “experts.” But today’s realities of climate change, peak oil, pollution and changing traffic patterns are gradually altering conventional attitudes.

This conference will still hear advocates for unfettered growth and sprawl, but it will also give a voice to people like economist Joe Cortright, who makes the connection between stringent land-use laws and a healthy economy. Oregon planning consultant John Fregonese is a leading voice for public input into innovative regional planning. We will hear about property values going down on the outskirts and up in city centers. Old attitudes die hard in the real estate, transportation and construction industries, but change is afoot, and this conference offers a glimpse into the future. Information on the all-day event is available at movingforwardtogether.net.