Metro 2040 Growth Concept

Portland, Oregon

Metro 2040 is an innovative process in setting a regional growth management strategy for 24 cities and the urban portion of 3 counties in the Portland metropolitan region. The process synthesizes the award-winning public involvement program and state-of-art GIS and transportation analyses. FA President John Fregonese led this effort as the director of the Metro Growth Management Department.

In 1992 “Metro 2040” started with an extensive survey of citizen values, and was followed by the modeling and analysis of four alternative concepts. Based upon inputs from policy-makers, planning professionals, businesses and citizens throughout the region, the preferred “Growth Concept” was developed. It focuses higher density development along transit corridors while maintaining natural resources and the character of existing neighborhoods.

Upon the unanimous adoption of the Growth Concept by the Metro Council and a key local government advisory committee, MPAC, many implementation tools were developed including functional plans requiring conformance by local jurisdictions, Urban Reserve designations and Urban Growth Boundary revisions as required by state law. Each implementation tool included continuing public involvement. These efforts were consolidated into the Regional Framework Plan, which was adopted by the Metro Council in December 1997 with national and international media coverage.

“Metro 2040” is nationally recognized as a successful model of developing a truly effective regional growth management strategy. Fregonese Associates believes programs, plans and implementation tools need to be tailor made for each locality and that continuing public involvement is always a key of success.