Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) are a set of rules from the State of Oregon.  The rules aim to change how cities are built.  Building differently can reduce greenhouse gas emissions as one way to address climate change.

The rules aim to change land use and transportation planning for cities over 50,000 people.  They require planning with options for people who are walking, bicycling, and riding public transit.

This kind of planning will help reach the State’s climate goals to reduce carbon emissions. Walkable communities with different land uses means less sprawl, and fewer carbon emissions from cars. 

What does this mean for Bend?

This means the City must work to follow new state rules when planning for communities and transportation.

The first set of changes affected parking.  In 2023, the Bend City Council voted to remove minimum parking requirements for new development.  You may read about the code here and here.

Current projects include Climate Friendly Areas which were presented to City Council in December 2023 following a public engagement process.

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