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Bend's Urban Growth Boundary Plan Approved by State

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Today, Nov. 15, the City of Bend's Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) expansion plan was approved by the Oregon Department of Land Conservation.

The Urban Growth Boundary that Bend has today was first established in 1981 and has been amended since then—but this is the first comprehensive update to the plan. The plan will guide how Bend grows for the next 20 years and identifies what land is urbanizable—meaning able to be used for housing, transportation, employment, etc. Hundreds of people have been working hard on Bend's UGB plan for a number of years.

In 2009 the UGB plan was submitted to the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) for approval and was returned with parts that needed to be amended or explained further for approval. After much public, expert and council input the Bend City Council gave final approval to the revised Urban Growth Boundary in September. As one can see, the process has been long but the DLCD has now given the City of Bend the final nod to go ahead with its UGB expansion.

The UGB expansion plan added 2,380 acres of land to the City of Bend for employment and housing. These expansions are equally distributed to the northeast, southeast, south and north areas of Bend.

To avoid urban sprawl the completed UGB plan is a blend of expansion as well as infill. With redevelopment, about 70 percent of the projected growth in jobs and housing can be accommodated inside Bend's current growth boundary. The rest will happen gradually over time.

Have more questions? Take a look at the City of Bend's FAQ page. Also, this video created in 2013 does a good job of explaining the process and the importance of the UGB: