Real estate has always been cyclical, but what we’re experiencing now feels different. Markets are fluctuating, zoning codes are rapidly evolving, public expectations are rising, and the old playbook no longer seems valid. In 2026, the most valuable resource in real estate isn’t capital or land. It’s certainty and clarity. It’s the ability to make confident decisions and project in the future when the ground beneath us keeps shifting. At UrbanForm, we believe three forces d

In cities across the country, zoning codes shape what can and can’t be built. But understanding those rules has long been one of the biggest barriers to getting projects off the ground and one of the biggest constraints on municipal capacity. The City of Boardman, Oregon, is changing that narrative. This fall, Boardman became the latest community to launch a digital zoning platform powered by UrbanForm, giving developers, designers, and city staff instant access to accurate,

“Because the scariest part of development isn’t the code, it’s not knowing what’s true.” Every developer, planner, or architect has faced it. The project looks promising. A good site, a solid vision, financing lined up…until the zoning review begins. That’s when the ghosts start to appear. Weeks disappear into research. Spreadsheets multiply. The code seems to shift each time you read it. And out of nowhere, the budget begins to stretch. It isn’t supernatural. It’s what happe

Affordability is at the heart of every community. It shapes who can live where, who can build what, and how our cities grow. Yet across the country, the cost of housing continues to climb, driven by a mix of demand, scarcity, and complexity that affects everyone from renters to regional planners. At UrbanForm, we think about this every day, not just as a policy question, but as a systems problem. And one of the most overlooked pieces of that system is zoning. Why Housing Co

Every housing project begins with one simple question: What can be built here? That question just became a lot easier to answer across Oregon. From the southern coast to the Willamette Valley , six cities have joined a growing statewide movement to make zoning information accurate, verifiable, and instantly accessible. In Coos County (Bandon, Coos Bay, and North Bend) and Polk County (Monmouth, Independence, and Falls City), UrbanForm has launched two new digital zoning pl

“What’s my setback?” It’s 8:07 a.m. at the permit counter. Dana, a permit tech, has three voicemails blinking, a builder waiting with a folder, and an inbox full of screenshots. One caller copied a height table from a two-year-old PDF. Another is sure an overlay applies because a neighbor said so. A third has a site plan that almost works—until someone notices the frontage standard in a different chapter. By lunch, Dana has answered the same questions five times and hasn’t t

For leaders building the future of cities. In real estate, risk is the name of the game. Risk is both time and money. But before a single...

Oregon cities are being asked to deliver more housing, faster, in order to meet state production targets and community demand. With the...

At yesterday’s ColPac 2025 Northwest Oregon Housing Summit —an event focused on tackling housing affordability challenges and building...

Every building project starts with zoning. Yet in most communities, zoning information is complex and difficult to access. For...

We've been talking about this one in bits and pieces for months, but we've never put it all together before. At least in a nice, concise,...

We've got a full Fall Conference season coming up! We'll be attending a handful of events and conferences, including some confirmed and...

Allow us to share an email we received from a city planner as part of UrbanForm 's continuing partnership with jurisdictions: "It was a...

bWe're thrilled to announce the integration of re‑zone.ai and shovels.ai with UrbanForm. This collaboration brings zoning data and...

We'd like to share data on the usage of UrbanForm Yamhill to date from launch in the beginning of 2025 through April 2025. UrbanForm...

We hear this question about UrbanForm’s zoning data almost more than any other. Ready for the answer? The question is: "How do I know...

Founder and CEO Quang Truong presented at the Southern Coast of Oregon Housing Summit this past week, and there was a palpable sense of...

UrbanForm's Founder and CEO Quang Truong will be presenting at the Southern Oregon Coast Housing Summit Thursday and Friday, April 11,...

We had a great conversation about the UrbanForm Yamhill project, presented by many of the folks who worked to make it possible: Nathan...

We are talking about UrbanForm Yamhill ! Join us for a virtual presentation and demo to learn more about a first-of-its-kind partnership...