Government » Shaping Salem's Future » Our Salem: Planning for Growth

Your Guide to Planning for Our Future

We adopted OUR SALEM – an update to the City’s Comprehensive Plan – in 2022.

Our Salem set the policy framework for future growth and development by updating the Salem Area Comprehensive Plan, Comprehensive Plan Map, zoning map, and zoning code and guides how we want to grow and develop over the next 20+ years.

Now, we're focusing on detailed planning for:

  • Healthy streams
  • Improved climate resilience and reduced emissions
  • Green space for everyone
  • Walking, biking, roadways, street designs, and future investments
  • More housing choices and walkable centers
  • Traffic calming

Equity is central to all we do. Why is equity important?

  • Equity means all residents have the opportunity to participate and thrive in an inclusive society. This requires rectifying unequal access to resources and opportunities caused by historic and current systems of oppression and exclusion related to race, income, ability, gender, sexual identity, and other factors.
  • An equitable community overcomes disparities by providing increased levels of support to community members based on their needs. In Salem, it is a priority to advance equity in decision-making processes and the outcomes of those processes, including policies, investments, practices, and procedures.

2023-2026

Salem in Motion builds on the Our Salem project and Climate Action Plan.

  • Updates the Salem Transportation System Plan and implements the State’s Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities rules.

Transportation System Plan (TSP)

2023-2026

Outlines policies, programs, and projects to meet transportation challenges and priorities over the next 20 years.

Phase 1: Regional Scenario Plan

2023-2024

  • Required by the Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) Rules.
  • Establishes high-level strategies to meet the State's climate pollution reduction targets.
  • Focuses on changes and investments in active transportation, transit, parking management, streets, and other related improvements. Requires regional partnership (with Keizer and Marion County).

Phase 2: Policies, Projects, Priorities, Standards

Prioritizes projects to align with Regional Scenario Plan.

  • Updates the Salem Transportation System Plan.
  • Implements local priorities through new transportation project lists, standards, and policies.

Projected Outcome

  • Walking, Biking, Roadways and Street Design
  • Capital Investments

Land Use

Parking Reform

2023

  • Required by Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) Rules.
  • Changes to citywide parking regulations required by the State.
  • Eliminates minimum off-street parking requirements citywide.
  • Revises parking lot regulations.

Walkable, Mixed-Use Areas

2023-2026

Builds on the Our Salem project and required by Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) Rules.

  • Promotes compact, walkable, mixed-use development and supports access by people who walk, bike, or take transit.
  • Builds on the Our Salem project that rezoned areas to different mixed-use zones.

Housing Production Strategy

2024-2025

Implements the Our Salem project and is required by the State.

  • Describes strategies to encourage the production of housing to meet Salem's housing needs.
  • Focuses on regulatory, financial, and land-based strategies.

Projected Outcome

  • More Affordable Housing, Walkable Centers

Neighborhood Traffic Plan

Projected Outcome

  • Traffic Calming

More information about the Neighborhood Traffic Plan.

CLIMATE-FRIENDLY AND EQUITABLE COMMUNITIES (CFEC) INFLUENCES SALEM IN MOTION

Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC)

Adopted in 2022 by the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission

  • State rules that require cities in metropolitan areas to make changes to transportation and land use plans and parking regulations.
  • Aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and promote equity.