Oregon Plans: The Making of an Unquiet Land-Use Revolution by Sy Adler

Abstract

106 OHQ vol. 117, no. 1 OREGON PLANS: THE MAKING OF AN UNQUIET LAND-USE REVOLUTION by Sy Adler Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, 2012. Maps, tables, bibliography, index. 240 pages. $24.95 paper. Sy Adler’s Oregon Plans represents a vital new contribution to our understanding of landuse planning in the state of Oregon. Adler’s well-researched work begins with a concise historical foundation, followed by an insightful narrative of the 1973 passage of comprehensive land-use planning in Senate Bill 100 (SB 100). He then moves into careful exposition of the myriad political actors influencing the implementation of this landmark legislation. Adler’s detailed analysis of the circuitous, often contentious path from passage to full implementation leaves readers deeply impressed by the work that SB 100 and its resulting administrative bodies have accomplished nonetheless. Almost two-thirds of Adler’s book is focused on the implementation of SB 100. He carefully delineates the positions of a wide variety of actors, including state and local politicians, regional bodies, citizen advocates, environmental groups, industry representatives, and realtors ’ organizations. This exhaustive approach can occasionally tax readers’ stamina, but the end result is an immensely valuable analysis of how competing influences shaped the elaboration of Oregon’s land-use planning regime. In addition, Adler explains how the citizen leaders of the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) and the planning professionals of the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) faced crippling budgetary restraints, due both to legislative reluctance and to the generally poor economic conditions of the mid 1970s. Among the most prominent influences on Oregon land-use planning has been the advocacy group 1000 Friends of Oregon, the nation’s only watchdog organization focused on one piece of legislation in one state. 1000 Friends’ single-minded dedication to fostering a stringent interpretation of SB 100 has been remarkably effective. Adler’s clear exposition of the organization and its activism renders his account essential reading for those interested in understanding 1000 Friends. Adler’s work is thoroughly researched, clearly presented, and well argued and sup- 107 Reviews ported. His framing of the book accurately and effectively depicts land-use planning as a years-long process and not merely the result of passing SB 100. Perhaps the strongest critique that can be lodged against Oregon Plans is one that will only be a concern for some audiences. Adler is a professor of urban studies and planning, and Oregon Plans definitely reads that way. While his writing is clear, Adler’s focus is on policy and not on personalities . As a result, the many, often quirky, individuals who played influential roles in this story are sometimes reduced to mere expositors of policy positions. Adler’s prose would be livelier if it had included some of the human drama inherent in any narrative graced by the likes of Gov. Tom McCall, or SB 100 negotiator and first LCDC chairman L.B. Day. More significantly, however, additional colorful quotations and stories would shed light on the reality that for many Oregonians , land-use planning has aroused visceral emotions in support of perceived rights and obligations. Late in the book, for example, Adler discusses the LCDC’s development of goals to govern planning along Oregon’s coastline. Development of these goals was perhaps the most contentious of the many difficult processes that the LCDC undertook. Adler quotes an official as commenting that public hearings were “wild” — but provides no details (p. 213). A carefully chosen story or quotation from those “wild” proceedings would shed important light on attendees’ priorities, fervor, and emotional commitments. Such a critique may be a question more of genre than of Oregon Plan’s merits when taken on its own terms. General audiences may find Adler’s prose dry at some points, albeit always clearly presented. Historians will wish for additional stories. Any reader, however, will come away from Oregon Plans with a significantly enriched understanding of Oregon’s unique land-use planning environment, as well as the many benefits — and some unintended consequences — that comprehensive planning has brought to Oregon’s landscape. Laura Jane Gifford Portland, Oregon MARIE EQUI: RADICAL POLITICS AND OUTLAW PASSIONS by Michael Helquist Oregon State University...