About
In 2022, the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) passed Climate-Friendly and Equitable Community (CFEC) rules that require cities over 5,000 to create more accessible mixed-use and walkable areas, called “Climate Friendly Areas”, to lower carbon emissions, especially by reducing the need to drive.
Climate Friendly Areas (CFAs) are places where people can live, work, and meet many of their daily needs without having to drive. These areas allow a mix of housing, businesses, and amenities that are accessible by bike, transit, and on foot. The goals are to increase housing and transportation choices while creating vibrant and connected neighborhoods.
Climate Friendly Areas Adoption
On May 23, 2025, Ordinance 6062 that adopted six Climate Friendly Area (CFA) overlay zoning districts throughout the city and associated standards went into effect. The climate friendly rules require certain uses to be allowed within CFAs and additional standards to ensure areas are pedestrian friendly. See Albany Development Code Article 14, which includes maps of each CFA and uses and standards specific to development in the CFAs.
CFA Background Information
- Learn more on the FAQ and Background tabs.
- Albany’s 2023 Study of Potential Climate Friendly Areas
- Anti-Displacement Analysis
- Market Feasibility Study of Albany’s CFAs
Parking Reform Adopted
Parking reform was the first phase of CFEC rule compliance. Effective July 1, 2023, the city no longer requires parking for any development, parking maximums were established, bicycle parking standards were updated, large parking lot standards were adopted, and EV charging capacity requirements for apartments with five or more units were put in place on July 1, 2023. Over time, parking lots will have more tree canopies, bicycle parking, and electric vehicle charging.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Albany creating Climate Friendly Areas (CFAs)?
The CFEC rules adopted in July 2022 require all cities over 5,000 in population, counties in Oregon’s eight metropolitan areas must comply with the new rules. Albany is one of the eight metropolitan areas. Designing CFAs may give people more choices for where to live and reduce the reliance on vehicles, which may reduce emissions from transportation and slow the pace of climate change.
What is a Climate Friendly Area?
Climate Friendly Areas (CFAs) will be walkable, connected areas that allow a mix of businesses, housing, and amenities such as parks and schools. Development in these areas will require high quality pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and transit access.
Where are the Climate Friendly Areas proposed and when will they go into effect?
Albany has identified candidate Climate Friendly Areas (CFAs) that are on or near transit lines where a mix of uses and/or taller buildings are already allowed within the city. The primary CFA is proposed for the Heritage Mall area, including surrounding commercial and residential development. “Secondary” CFAs are proposed in downtown, north, south, and east Albany.
After public engagement with property owners and residents, the Albany City Council will make a final decision regarding which areas to designate as CFAs by the end of 2024.
Development within CFAs will occur over many years based on market demand. The new rules will help ensure these areas provide a mix of uses in easily accessible areas, which we hope, will improve the livability and vibrancy of the city for all residents over time.
Will the rules eliminate single-detached dwellings and homeownership opportunities?
No. Most areas zoned for single-dwelling development will stay unchanged.
Home ownership can be through fee-simple ownership or condominium ownership.
Housing allowed in the new CFAs will include any housing that can be constructed at a minimum net density of 15 units an acre in most CFAs, which would include smaller houses, townhouses, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, apartments. Housing in the primary CFA proposed for the Heritage Mall area must be constructed at 25 units a net acre.
Will some businesses be prohibited in the new mixed-use areas?
Most commercial and service business types will be allowed in the new mixed-use areas; however, standards that require safe pedestrian access may discourage auto-depending retail.
Will the rules increase housing costs?
Many factors affect housing prices – the cost of land, construction, parking, supply and demand, location, unit size, to name a few. The following rule changes may reduce housing costs:
- Parking and Vehicle Ownership. Parking adds cost to development and people who don’t own cars pay indirectly for other people’s parking. Vehicle ownership is expensive. Parking is no longer required with development. Lenders and market dynamics will determine parking needs.
We recognize that Albany transit and bike/ped systems may currently not provide the stop frequency or connectivity yet to support car-free living and that most residents have cars and want parking. - The hope is that over time parking may be “decoupled” from the cost of housing, which may in turn support increased transit ridership (and ultimately better transit service) and walking and biking for services and jobs in closer proximity.
- Higher Density vs. “High Rise” Construction Costs. High rise buildings (5 or more stories) will not be required in the new urban centers, but we must allow for buildings up to 85 feet in the primary CFA (Heritage Mall area). Buildings over 4 stories have different construction requirements and can be more costly per square foot than buildings up to 4 stories. As land increases in value, taller buildings may cost less per square foot.
A market analysis for east Albany (east of I-5), indicated Albany’s residential development is anticipated to be 4 or fewer stories in the near term. A market study of all proposed CFAs will provide the city with more information about the type of development we could expect over time. - EV Conduit: Apartment complexes with 5 or more units must provide electrical service capacity and conduit for 40% of provided parking spaces; however, the wiring and electric vehicle chargers are not required. The intent is to reduce costs to install charging stations later as demand for EVs grows.
Will the rules increase costs for businesses?
- Parking. Parking is no longer required, which may reduce development costs. New standards will encourage conversion of underutilized parking areas and facilitate shared parking. New parking lots over ¼ acre in size will be required to provide more tree canopy or solar panels.
- EV Conduit. State law currently requires commercial buildings in private ownership to provide 20% of new parking spaces with EV conduit and electrical service capacity (ORS 455.417). The new rules for mixed -use buildings with 5 or more dwellings, increase this requirement to 40% of parking spaces provided.
Timeline
Timeline
The first phase is to study and determine potential locations of climate-friendly areas by December 31, 2023. Following this phase, development standards for these areas will be adopted by December 31, 2024.
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026-2028 | 2029 | |
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| Albany Area | Transportation Planning Rule major report (5/31) | Transportation Planning Rule minor report (5/31) | Transportation Planning Rule minor report (5/31/2026) and major report (5/31/2028) | Transportation Planning Rule minor report (5/31) | ||
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Public Engagement
Public Engagement
Join the mailing list to stay up to date. Please send questions, comments and suggestions to
Attend an open houses on the proposed Climate Friendly Areas:
| CFA Meeting Focus | Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Albany (C) | Wednesday, September 11, 2024 |
4:30–6pm | City Hall, Council Chambers, 333 Broadalbin St SW |
| Mall Area (D), Queen& Geary (E), East Albany(B), 99E/South Albany (F) | Tuesday, September 17, 2024 |
4:30–6pm | Main Library, 2450 14th Avenue SE |
| Downtown (A) | Tuesday, October 1, 2024 |
4:30–6pm | City Hall, Council Chambers, 333 Broadalbin St SW |
| Open House (All areas) | Wednesday, October 30, 2024 |
4:30–6pm | City Hall, Council Chambers, 333 Broadalbin St SW |
| Open House (All areas) | Wednesday, November 12, 2024 |
4:30–6pm | City Hall, Council Chambers, 333 Broadalbin St SW |
To attend virtually
Use this open house link on the date and time of the meeting, or open Zoom and entering the following:
- Meeting ID: 838 7661 0659
- Passcode: 782602
To phone in, please send an email to
Areas Map
Prior Public Engagement Materials
Background
Background
Oregon is not meeting its goals to reduce climate pollution. In 2007, Oregon legislators adopted a goal to reduce Oregon’s climate pollution by 75% by 2050 because that’s what the science calls for if Oregon is going to avoid catastrophic impacts to our environment, communities, and economy. Governor Brown issued Executive Order 20-04 in March 2020 which is the basis of the Oregon Climate Action Plan (OCAP), which directs many state agencies to address climate change in a variety of very specific ways.
The Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) is the state agency that oversees land use and transportation planning. Transportation accounts for 38% of Oregon’s greenhouse gas pollution. Land use patterns can impact climate pollution by offering transportation, housing, and employment choices in locations that are walkable, bikeable, and accessible by transit to reduce reliance on vehicles.
The Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) initiated the Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) rulemaking in September 2020. After almost two years of public engagement and modifications to draft rules, LCDC adopted the rules July 21, 2022. Visit the CFEC page for information about the new standards and state climate change resources.
