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Climate-Friendly Areas

Oregon’s Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities Rules requires some cities, including Springfield, to reduce air pollution by allowing places that enable people to get around by ways other than driving alone. This Climate-Friendly Areas project is one way Springfield is working to meet these needs.

Project Overview

Summary

Why are we doing this work?

In 2007, the Oregon Legislature established a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Oregon is falling short of reaching its target. In response, Executive Order 20-04, issued by Governor Brown in 2020, directed State agencies to take additional actions to reduce emissions. To meet the Executive Order, the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development created the Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities rules. One component of the rules requires some cities, including Springfield, to designate one or more Climate-Friendly Areas.

What are Climate-Friendly Areas?

Climate-Friendly Areas have potential to reduce air pollution and prioritize equitable outcomes. The vision for Climate-Friendly Areas includes:

Allowing for dense, urban mixed use centers that will have plenty of jobs, homes, and services close to each other so people have options to meet most of their needs without relying on a car
Areas that have (or have plans for) high-quality pedestrian, bicycle, and transit infrastructure to provide frequent, safe, and convenient connections to key destinations within Springfield and the region
Practical strategies to avoid or alleviate the need for people to relocate elsewhere due to rising costs, and to keep and increase affordable housing options

Want to learn more about this project or ways to get involved?

There are several ways to get more information. You can:

Review documents by clicking on the "Resources" link or scrolling down to access them
View this presentation
Explore this Story Map (note: the linked survey closed May 17, 2024)
Search for a property using this interactive map

To hear about ways to participate along the way, check this project webpage, subscribe to e-mail updates at the bottom of this page, or contact us! You can also follow the City of Springfield on social media for periodic project updates and other City announcements.

Contact Information

Chelsea Hartman, Senior Planner
Project Manager
541-726-3648 / 711-Relay I [email protected]

Para Español

Molly Markarian, Senior Planner
541-726-4611 / 711-Relay I [email protected]

Springfield Climate-Friendly Areas Overview

Representatives

Chelsea Hartman

Senior Planner: Project Manager

Monica Sather

Project Staff: Engagement Lead

Resources

Project Timeline Graphic ( 0.04 MB )

Climate-Friendly Areas Handout ( 2.6 MB )

Common Questions and Answers ( 0.25 MB )

Climate-Friendly Areas at a Glance ( 29.24 MB )

Community Engagement Plan ( 0.61 MB )

Demographics & Potential Displacement Risk Summary ( 10.6 MB )

Timeline

Update • Tue, May 21, 2024

Answers to Commonly Asked Questions Posted

Check out the "Resources" link to see what community members are asking most about and our answers. We hope this is a helpful resource! Please feel free to reach out with more questions if you have any along the way.

Update • Tue, Jun 18, 2024

Planning Commission Work Session Held

Planning Commission discussed tradeoffs of the potential Climate-Friendly Areas with the project team and shared thoughts about preferred scenarios. This discussion informed next steps and City Council's work session on June 24. You can view meeting materials here along with a recording of the meeting (also below).

Update • Mon, Jun 24, 2024

City Council Work Session Held & Next Steps

Following an update from the project team and discussion about the characteristics of the four potential Climate-Friendly Areas (Downtown, Gateway/RiverBend, Glenwood Riverfront, and Mohawk), City Council provided feedback to continue exploring all four locations as Springfield works toward selecting and adopting a preferred scenario. One scenario of interest is to consider the potential for Glenwood Riverfront as a "primary" Climate-Friendly Area and Downtown, Mohawk, and Gateway/RiverBend as "secondary" Climate-Friendly Areas.

Want to know more? You can view the meeting materials here along with a recording of the meeting (also below). Are you curious about how "primary" and "secondary" Climate-Friendly Areas are different? Question 8 of our Common Questions Answered document in the Resources tab and the recording of the City Council meeting list key distinctions.

Next steps: The project team will continue outreach and research to inform City Council's selection of one or more Climate-Friendly Areas in 2025, with outcomes to include:

Completed market assessment for each potential Climate-Friendly Area
Possible strategies identified to prevent or minimize the need for residents to move elsewhere due to higher housing costs that may result from redevelopment
Draft updates to the Springfield Development Code and to long-range plans needed to meet State requirements

Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to share your thoughts!

Update • Thu, Jul 18, 2024

Come Join Us at Springfield City Club

Springfield planning staff will share updates on Climate-Friendly Areas at the Springfield City Club’s next program (details below). Staff will discuss what Climate-Friendly Areas are in the context of the State’s requirements, focus on which areas in Springfield may become Climate-Friendly Areas and their tradeoffs, and note the outcome of discussions with the Planning Commission and City Council. This is also an opportunity to hear your thoughts and questions. We hope to see you there!

Where: Roaring Rapids Pizza at 4006 Franklin Boulevard in Glenwood. You will find us in the back room. You can also join online, via Zoom or tune in on YouTube. Sign up for emails to receive zoom invitations from Springfield City Club.

When: Thursday, July 18 from 12-1 p.m.

Stay Informed

Subscribe for periodic updates. 22 community members are following this project.