The Urban Food Zoning Code Update – a Portland project

The Urban Food Zoning Code Update project team has released a Discussion Draft of changes to the City of Portland Zoning Code that will affect the way food can be grown and distributed in Portland — particularly in our neighborhoods.

Feb. 2012

These proposed changes reflect the comments many Portlanders gave us on the Concept Report last summer. They support community gardens, farmers markets, for-profit market gardens, food buying clubs and Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) at a scale that is appropriate to neighborhoods and helps build community. Public comments on the Concept Report are covered in the Summary of Concept Report Questionnaire.

Over the past few months, project staff has been working closely with a Code Development Advisory Group (CDAG) to take the concept ideas from last summer and develop draft zoning code language for this public review. The CDAG was composed of 18 members with a variety of interests, perspectives and experiences around urban food production and distribution.

Recognizing the connections between food and the community’s environmental, economic and physical health, the City of Portland has initiated a project to update its zoning code to promote traditional and emerging ways of producing and distributing food. The project will address five topic areas related to urban food production and distribution:

Farmers Markets
Community Gardens
Urban Food Production
Community Food Distribution Points
Animals and Bees

This project will affirm the City’s commitment to expanding access to healthful food for all Portlanders by:

Establishing a common understanding of urban food issues that reflects community values and policies expressed in the Climate Action Plan, Peak Oil Task Force report and ongoing policy work of the Portland Plan.

Solving regulatory problems that can be addressed in the short term and identifying more complex urban food issues for in-depth policy discussions

Ensuring that decisions related to food production and access maximize public health benefits

Developing clear food regulations that are easy to understand and equitability enforced

Increasing gardening opportunities to support Portlanders’ access to healthy, locally grown food

Supporting small entrepreneurial food ventures and urban farmers that contribute to the city’s economy

Mitigating impacts of urban food production and distribution to surrounding properties (noise, traffic, pollutants, etc.).

Read the complete report here.