Climate Friendly Areas
A Climate Friendly Area (CFA) is a place where people can live, work, and meet most of their daily needs without having to drive a car. Designing Climate Friendly Area neighborhoods helps lower carbon emissions.
Climate Friendly Areas (CFAs) are part of Oregon’s Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) rules. These areas will be walkable and include jobs, housing, parks and schools.
Cities in Oregon with over 50,000 residents are required to update their land use and transportation plans to meet these requirements. Making these changes will help the City of Bend achieve many of its City Council goals, policies and plans.
Climate Friendly Areas Study Report
Review the Climate Friendly Areas Study report and appendices:
These documents were presented to City Council in December 2023 and approved by the State of Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development.
If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Elyse Vukelich at evukelich@bendoregon.gov or 541-693-2138, or Jennifer Knapp at jknapp@bendoregon.gov or 541-317-3029.
Climate Friendly Areas Engagement Report and Themes
Project outreach focused on amplifying the voices of historically under-served community members, aiming to provide meaningful opportunities for everyone to get involved.
The Climate Friendly Areas Engagement Report covers outreach activities from January 1, 2023, to June 30, 2023. It highlights key themes we heard and outlines the next steps. We hosted pop-ups in parks, stakeholder meetings and a community open house to gather input.
Public comments on Climate Friendly Areas were collected throughout the summer and fall of 2023. This document summarizes the conversations and online feedback. Engagement opportunities included nine in-person pop-ups in Bend neighborhoods, an online questionnaire and both in-person and online open houses with opportunities for questions and comments.
Climate Friendly Areas Map
The City expects to select between 275 and 350 acres of Climate Friendly Areas by the end of 2027. Staff recently reviewed 10 candidate areas which are identified on the map. Not all of these areas will be chosen as Climate Friendly Areas.
What will Climate Friendly Areas do?
- Promote connected neighborhoods
- Encourage people-centered, complete communities
- Help reach the City’s climate goals
- Increase access and safety for multi-modal travel
- Address the housing crisis
- Provide or incentivize more housing and transportation options
- Re-establish traditional urban patterns of walkable, amenity-rich areas
- Limit displacement and gentrification
- Development will occur over the next 20-50 years
The areas studied include opportunity zones, areas near downtown, and along main transportation routes. The City analyzed demographic and housing data for these areas to assess and limit the risk of displacement and gentrification.
Outreach focused on amplifying the voices of historically under-served community members, providing opportunities for equitable involvement.
Timeline
Línea de tiempo
Frequently Asked Questions
Climate Friendly Areas are walkable neighborhoods that mix businesses, housing, parks and schools. These areas will be developed by changing what is allowed, such as taller buildings, higher-density housing and high-quality sidewalks, bike lanes and transit access.
Many parts of Bend already resemble Climate Friendly Areas, like the Old Mill District, Bend Central District and downtown.
You can find a map of potential Climate Friendly Areas by selecting the Climate Friendly Areas Basemap. Areas studied include those near downtown, main transportation routes and places like Bend Central District, KorPine, Central Westside and 3rd Street. Many mixed-use and commercial areas already meet most Climate Friendly Area standards.
The decision will be made through a community process, focusing on the voices of historically under-served community members to reduce the risk of displacement and gentrification. The City Council will make the final decision to select one or more Climate Friendly Areas in 2027.
Choosing Climate Friendly Areas and adopting the supporting code includes two phases. The first phase in 2023 studied all potential areas. The second phase, in 2027, will involve selecting the areas, finalizing the analysis and adopting code amendments.
These areas are part of Oregon’s Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities rules. Designing neighborhoods like this helps reduce carbon emissions and gives people the option to not rely on cars, aiming to slow down climate change.
For more information, visit the state’s webpage about Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities. You can also contact Elyse Vukelich at evukelich@bendoregon.gov or 541-693-2138, or Jennifer Knapp at jknapp@bendoregon.gov or 541-317-3029.