Land use planning

A group of about a dozen farmers is lobbying state legislators to loosen Oregon's iconic land use laws to expand business opportunities on agricultural land.

Farmland conservation advocates say Oregon’s land use planning program has historically done a good job at protecting farmland. But they say it’s concerning to see continued decrease of farmland, especially compared to other states.

Making it easier to annex land and increasing options for middle-income Oregonians are top priorities.

The groups want more old-growth stands and a watershed included in the state’s landmark Western Forests Habitat Conservation Plan.

Bandon, Oregon could be home to a new coastal resort that officials say would be the largest development of its kind in the city in decades.

A patchwork of bills are giving housing developers and local governments more options to reduce red tape for housing projects.

Housing group members say more land is needed for homes, while environmentalists warn against sprawl.

Lawmakers had high hopes of finishing their work Saturday, but top Democrats were having trouble finding agreement on one of Gov. Tina Kotek's priorities. State law requires them to conclude their business by Sunday.

Looking for a creative way to live simply in California has one West Sacramento woman running a gauntlet of zoning laws and red tape.

A recent city poll of local housing developers identified some new building requirements — ranging from mandatory bicycle parking spaces to bird-safe windows — as policies the city should suspend to accelerate housing development in Portland.

The proposal would grant Gov. Tina Kotek unprecedented power to alter where development is permitted around Oregon cities.

For exactly 50 years, Oregon’s farms and forests have been protected from urban sprawl by the nation’s first statewide law creating urban growth boundaries