Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities 

In March of 2020, Governor Kate Brown issued an executive order directing state agencies to take actions to reduce and regulate greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change while also centering the needs of Oregon’s most vulnerable communities.

In response, the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission developed new requirements, the Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) rules, for cities to help meet these goals through changes to local transportation and housing planning systems.

Eugene and Springfield, among other metropolitan areas across the state, are required to change development standards to encourage more climate-friendly development and reduce emissions. This page outlines Eugene's efforts to implement the CFEC requirements.

Project Goals

Through CFEC implementation, the City of Eugene will accomplish the following goals:

• Comply with the Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities requirements
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and housing
• Provide more climate-friendly housing and transportation options
• Center the voices of historically marginalized community groups in decision-making

Implementation

To implement the new requirements, the City of Eugene will advance a few key strategies through 2026, including:

• Plan for more housing and jobs in Climate-Friendly Areas such as in downtown, in commercial centers, and along key corridors designed so people can live, work, and play without having to drive 
• Reduce parking requirements for certain types of development and in certain areas, such as along frequent bus routes, to free up land for housing and other services, support pedestrian-friendly design, and reduce housing costs
• Prepare for a future with more electric vehicles by ensuring new mixed-use and multi-family housing development provides charging infrastructure 
• Plan for more climate-friendly transportation options so that people can walk, bike, roll, and take the bus safely and easily
• Plan for more pedestrian-friendly and compact development across the city so neighborhoods are more connected
• Throughout the process, center the voices of historically marginalized community groups and improve equitable transportation and housing outcomes, particularly for those who have been harmed by past planning, climate, and transportation decisions
• Track progress towards achieving more equitable outcomes in transportation and housing, increasing housing production, and supporting areas where people can bike and walk more easily across the city

Luckily, these are projects that residents and Eugene City Council have already supported through other community projects such as the Climate Action Plan 2.0, Envision Eugene, the Housing Implementation Pipeline, continued investments in downtown, affordable housing, and active transportation infrastructure, as well as other sustainability, housing, and transportation projects.

CFEC will result in updates to the Eugene Land Use Code, revisions to the Envision Eugene Comprehensive Plan and 2035 Transportation System Plan, as well as revised requirements for development permits.