A New 20-year Growth Plan

The Growth Management Division is currently working on planning for the next 20 years of growth.  The results of this planning project will update Bend's current Comprehensive Plan.

The planning effort intends to make sure there is enough land for housing, jobs and infrastructure for everyone within Bend's urban growth boundary (UGB). The UGB is a boundary around the city that controls how far urban development can grow. Population forecasts from Portland State University estimate 155,806 to 167,332 people will live in Bend between 2045 and 2050.

This plan will begin in 2025 with community engagement and will be voted on by the Bend City Council in 2026 or 2027.

Some elements that go into planning for the next 20 years include:

One-time Urban Growth Boundary Expansion

The state legislature passed a bill (also known as SB 1537) in 2024 that allows some cities to add 100 net-residential acres to its urban growth boundary (UGB). This faster-than-normal process provides the opportunity for more supply of market-rate and affordable housing in the near term.

Any land added through this process would require 30% of housing units to be affordable. Affordable in this context would be based on someone making 80% of the area median income if they are renting or 130% of the area median income if they are purchasing a property.

On June 20, 2024, the Bend City Council directed staff to proceed with soliciting applications for a one-time UGB expansion.

We have complied more information on the one-time UGB expansion. Including a tentative project timeline, upcoming events related to the project and a frequently asked questions section.

Urban Reserves

An urban reserve is an area of land that falls outside of the UGB. It can be designated for future housing and employment needs beyond a 20-year land supply to be included in an UGB. Thinking ahead and identifying new land Bend may need 30-50 years from now can be helpful to make sure planning is done thoughtfully.

Resources