An urban growth boundary (UGB) is a local government regulatory measure for delineating limits for urban growth over a period of time. Land within the UGB is made available for urban development while land outside the UGB remains primarily rural for farming, forestry, or low-density residential development. 

One of the best-known examples of the application of an urban growth boundary comes from Portland, Oregon. For more information, see the Metro: Urban Growth Boundary website.

Some other examples of Urban Growth Boundary application are Cookeville, Tennessee, Milpitas, California and Boulder, Colorado.

On-line Articles 

FACTSHEET: Urban Growth Boundaries from the Greenbelt Alliance. (PDF)

What is an Urban Growth Boundary? prepared by Oregon's Department of Land Conservation and Development.

Urban Growth Boundaries from Patterns of a Conservation Economy.

San Jose's Greenline Sets an Urban Growth Boundary to Manage Growth and Limit Sprawl, published in the Joint Center Report, a publication of the Joint Center for Sustainable Communities.

Myths & Facts About Oregon’s Urban Growth Boundaries, presented by 1000 Friends of Oregon.

Publications 

Bound for Success: A Citizen's Guide to Using Urban Growth Boundaries for More Livable Communities and Open Space Protection in California, Greenbelt Alliance, 1997.
This report explores advantages that UGBs offer over traditional land use planning tools, provides activists with a checklist of issues to consider as they organize their boundary campaigns, and discusses various approaches to establishing a UGB. Greenbelt Alliance also offers a downloadable Urban Growth Boundary Bibliography from 2002.

Holding The Line: Urban Containment In The United States, The Brookings Institution, 2002.
This report reviews urban growth boundaries and other containment policies being adopted in several states and by a number of local governments. The report discusses lessons learned and raises relevant research questions for practitioners as well as policymakers at the state and local level.

Inside the Boundaries, Eco Northwest for the Orgeon Department of Transportation and the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, 2000. 
An on-line report describing the primary policy tools for facilitating development within urban growth boundaries.

Urban Growth Boundaries, from Models and Guidelines for Managing Maryland's Growth, 1995.
This report outlines the use of urban growth boundaries in Maryland and details the actions that must be taken to make growth boundaries successful.

Publications Related to Urban Growth Boundaries Issues, California Department of Housing and Community Development, 2002
A PDF bibliography of print and online publications related to the topic.

Last updated: December 7, 2004

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