The program aims to limit development on rural farm and forest lands while encouraging development in appropriate places. Oregon has broken new ground by treating planning as a comprehensive design for living, a design unified by statewide goals. Today, many communities are faced with problems associated with rapid growth and sprawl. Oregon's Department of Land Conservation and Development, which administers the state's land use planning laws, and the Department of Transportation are providing joint consultation to communities to help them cope with those problems. Teams of experts in planning and urban design work with local officials as they review and respond to development proposals and update land use ordinances.
Efforts also are under way to focus land use planning at a regional level.