What is the Plan for Bend’s Growth?
Planning for Bend’s growth is an ongoing process. It includes new projects to meet State legal requirements and achieve goals set by the Bend City Council. This page highlights upcoming planning efforts.
A New 20-year Growth Plan
The Growth Management Division is gearing up to work on planning for the next 20 years of growth. The results of this planning project will update Bend’s current Comprehensive Plan.
The planning effort intends to make sure there is enough land for housing, jobs and infrastructure for everyone within Bend’s urban growth boundary (UGB). The UGB is a boundary around the city that controls how far urban development can grow. Population forecasts from Portland State University estimate 160,361 people will live in Bend by 2050.
Efforts to update the Comprehensive Plan will begin with technical work early in 2026 and will continue with community engagement beginning later in the year. The final update to the Comprehensive Plan is currently expected to be voted on by the Bend City Council in 2029.
Some elements that go into planning for the next 20 years include:
One-time Urban Growth Boundary Expansion
The state legislature passed a bill (also known as SB 1537) in 2024 that allows some cities to add 100 net-residential acres to its urban growth boundary (UGB). This faster-than-normal process provides the opportunity for more supply of market-rate and affordable housing in the near term.
Any land added through this process would require 30% of housing units to be affordable. Affordable in this context would be based on someone making 80% of the area median income if they are renting or 130% of the area median income if they are purchasing.
In June 2024, the Bend City Council directed staff to proceed with soliciting applications for a one-time UGB expansion.
We have compiled more information on the one-time UGB expansion, including a tentative project timeline, upcoming events related to the project and a frequently asked questions section.
Urban Reserves
An urban reserve is an area of land that falls outside of the UGB. It can be designated for future housing and employment needs beyond the 20-year land supply included in a UGB. Thinking ahead and identifying new land Bend may need 30-50 years from now can be helpful to make sure planning is done thoughtfully. The Bend City Council will consider establishing an urban reserve with the next Comprehensive Plan update.
Legislation That Influences How Bend Grows
Oregon State Legislature
The legislature meets every year in Oregon. In odd-numbered years, the “long” session starts in January and ends in June. In even-numbered years, the legislature meets for a “short” session that starts in February and ends in March.
The 2025 Land Use Legislation Report describes legislation passed in the 2025 long session. Legislation included in the report is related to land use planning or programs.
The Growth Management Division tracked the following bills during the session:
- HB 2347 – Technical Fixes to Housing Legislation. This bill is a “clean up” bill that makes technical changes to the statutes related to planning for housing.
- SB 48 – Technical Fixes to SB 1537 (from 2024 Session). This bill made a number of technical changes to SB 1537, which was passed in the 2024 Session of the Legislature. These changes include several to clarify the requirements for the One-time UGB Expansion.
- HB 2138 – Middle Housing and Infill Development. This bill makes a number of substantive changes to the development of middle housing, including land divisions for middle housing.
- HB 2258 – Oregon Homes (preapproved building plans program). This bill directs the Department of Land Conservation and Development and the Department of Consumer and Business Services to develop a program for approving building plans so that they can be used in cities and counties around the state. The bill also directs rulemaking to add requirements.
- HB 3031 – Housing Infrastructure Financing Program. Establishes a new infrastructure program for housing development in the Oregon Business Development Department (aka Business Oregon).
- SB 974 – Residential Development Application Approval Process. Requires local governments or special districts to complete final review of final engineering plans for residential development within 120 days of submission. Establishes a limited review process for certain applications for residential development within an urban growth boundary. Becomes operative on July 1, 2026. Prohibits local governments from applying certain design review requirements for certain (urban housing applications) residential developments within an urban growth boundary.
- SB 1129 – Urban Reserves rulemaking. Requires the Land Conservation and Development Commission to amend its rules relating to urban reserves.
- SB 967 – Local Improvement District IGAs. Authorizes cities and counties to enter into intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) governing local infrastructure improvements proposed for unincorporated areas within an urban growth boundary.
Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission
The Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) is a seven-member commission of citizen volunteers. The commission adopts state land use goals and administrative rules. The City must follow these goals and rules when adopting or amending its Comprehensive Plan or development code.