(Photos courtesy of Building a Better Bend)
Nonprofit organization Building a Better Bend, along with title sponsor, First Interstate Bank, today announced it will be hosting a 3-part lecture series celebrating 50 years of Oregon’s unique land use laws. Oregon regulates growth very differently and has for 50 years. In other states, farms and forests turn into endless subdivisions and sprawl that goes on for miles — but Oregon is different. 50 years ago, Oregon leaders looked around and saw sprawl threatening our beautiful state and enacted a series of bold new laws, known as Senate Bill 100 which was signed into law in 1973.
The first lecture of the series is How did Oregon Get So Unique? The Last 50 Years, presented by the City of Bend. The event takes place on Tuesday, April 18 at 7pm at Open Space Event Studio (220 NE Lafayette Ave). Speakers include political journalist veteran Jeff Mapes who recently launched a six-part podcast exploring the history of Oregon’s land use policies, and attorney Robert Liberty who has more than four decades of experience with the implementation, improvement, enforcement and politics of Oregon’s land use planning program. Attendees will hear the bruising (and sometimes hilarious) battles that got us to today, ongoing challenges with implementing a revolutionary planning system, and how our state is gearing up to tackle a fresh new set of challenges.
Admission is FREE and no pre-registration is required, but space is limited. Doors will open at 6:30pm and the program starts at 7pm. A no-host bar will be available.
Part 2 is What Will Bend Be Like for Our Kids Over the Next 25 Years? Presented by Taylor Brooks. Just like 50 years ago, Oregon is again taking bold new action on growth laws aimed at building sustainable, resilient, and equitable cities. Learn what these new laws will mean for Bend and how we can improve livability while doubling in population. This program is scheduled for Tuesday, May 23 at 7pm at the Deschutes Brewery Mountain Room. Speakers include Saumya Kini an Associate Urban Designer at Walker Macy Landscape Architects, and Blaine Merker, partner and managing director at Gehl, an urban design consultancy based in Copenhagen. Merker is originally from Bend.
Part 3’s lecture, presented by Pinnacle Architecture, will tackle the wild future beyond 2048. It will discuss how we can effectively plan and maintain our region’s beauty and quality of life, despite our lives and city being changed by a warming climate, population growth and less water. This program will take place in fall 2023 with date, location and speakers to be announced soon.
About Building a Better Bend:
For 20 years, Building a Better Bend has been bringing an annual lecture series to Central Oregon. We host expert speakers who share their experiences with the public and professionals in our community about ways to have a positive impact on the quality of development and growth in our region.
