Building Digital Zoning Infrastructure on the Southern Oregon Coast
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
Late last year, UrbanForm began working with the Southern Oregon Coast Regional Housing Collaborative (SOCRH) and CCD Business Development Corporation to bring parcel-specific zoning information online for the cities of Coos Bay, North Bend, and Bandon. The goal was to remove the friction that slows projects down before they even begin, supporting their housing goals and economic development across the region.
That work is now expanding.
Today, in partnership with Coos County, SOCRH, and the Oregon Community Foundation, UrbanForm is extending digital zoning coverage across the County, building on the foundation established in those three cities and making accurate, verified zoning information available to planners, builders, architects, and community partners throughout the region.
From Three Cities to a County
The initial phase proved something important: when zoning is treated as shared infrastructure rather than a static document, projects move more predictably and communities build with greater confidence.
Expanding from three cities to county coverage means that everyone working in Coos County, public agencies and private developers alike, increasingly starts from the same verified, transparent zoning foundation. That alignment reduces misinterpretation, cuts redundant research, and creates the conditions for faster, better development.
MAYBE A QUOTE FROM STEPHANIE??
Zoning as Infrastructure
Zoning governs every building in America. Yet accessing it has historically required time-consuming document searches, code interpretation, and cross-referencing across multiple sources. When that process is slow and inconsistent, everything downstream slows with it.
Digital zoning infrastructure changes that equation in three concrete ways:
It adds capacity without adding staff -planners spend less time fielding basic questions and more time on high-value work
It reduces repetitive research and the risk of misinterpretation
It creates a common starting point for public agencies, developers, architects, and community partners
For regions working to expand housing supply, attract investment, and strengthen local economies, this clarity isn't cosmetic. It's fundamental.
Regional Leadership, Local Impact, Statewide Relevance
What made this expansion possible was as much about leadership as technology. Rather than individual cities or the county navigating this independently, the Southern Oregon Coast Regional Housing Collaborative championed digital zoning infrastructure on behalf of the region, coordinating the effort so its member communities didn't have to, ensuring accessible local knowledge, supporting housing goals, and regional economic development.
We are excited to begin this project in collaboration with our existing partners, new ones, and to continue to bring positive change to the communities around the Southern Coast of Oregon.
Stay tuned for more as we roll this out in partnership with the County!
Explore Coos County's UrbanForm coverage: https://coos.urbanform.us/
Is your region ready to build this foundation? We'd love to talk.
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