1.  Control urban expansion onto farm and forest
 Promote efficient use of land
 Protect natural areas
 Define urban and rural areas
source: EPA

2. In Oregon’s Willamette River Valley UGBs are drawing a line
between what is urban and what is rural

3.  Advocates say it promotes economic activity
 Creating cities without suburbs
 Creates infill
 Critics say they do more harm than good
 Creates a rise in housing costs
 Forces low income families elsewhere
 Destroys the neighborhood character
 Limit human capital

5. Portland’s pedestrian friendly
areas are a result of the UGB’s
Growth of high tech and
medical industries brought in
nearly 400,000 high income,
educated residents
Created a hip urban area
Portland has many mixed use areas
that are easily accessible by the
mass-transit system (the max)
Big box retailers stay clear of
Portland’s high priced downtown
areas

6. UGB’s may be excluding lower
income families due to higher
housing costs in the area.
Portland is trying to curb this by
implementing the Mandated Fair-
Share Program
Single family home prices went
from $104,000 to $160,000 from
1990 to 2000 and $195,000 to
$355,000 from 2002 to 2007
Average home prices dropping
after 2007 due to slowing
economy everywhere