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The Central City Amendments Project proposes ways to foster more housing and support business activity in the city core.
Project purpose
Post-pandemic trends continue to show higher retail and office vacancy rates in downtown and other parts of the Central City. At the same time, Portland has an urgent need to increase the supply of housing, especially for lower-income residents.
The Central City Code Amendments Project addresses these key issues by proposing ways to foster more housing and support business activity in the city core. This project will make strategic updates to the Central City 2035 Plan. The vision is to lay the foundations for a vibrant Central City where people want to live, work and play.
This project will:
- Facilitate housing production by removing barriers to development and redevelopment.
- Expand opportunities for business access, creation, and expansion.
- Prioritize equitable development approaches to support our most underserved communities.
Project background
The Central City covers only 3% of the land base in Portland and is planned to accommodate about 25% of the City’s total residential and employment growth through 2045. The existing plan for this area, known as the Central City 2035 Plan, allows for some of the densest development in the region. The plan accommodates a wide range of uses, including residential, commercial, and light industrial uses, that co-exist to create a vibrant and active center.
Since Central City 2035 was adopted in 2018, the downtown area has experienced unprecedented trends in retail and office vacancy. Guided by the Housing Production Strategy, the Central City Code Amendment Project will make strategic updates to the Central City 2035 Plan to remove barriers to housing production, as well as facilitate economic revitalization in the downtown area.
Key proposed zoning amendments include:
- Amend building heights and floor area ratio (FAR) limits in strategic locations to facilitate housing.
- Increase opportunities for housing development where it is currently restricted.
- Create incentives that support larger multi-bedroom and accessible dwelling units.
- Increase opportunities for housing development in some Central Employment (EX) zoned areas, where it is currently restricted.
- Expand location options for food carts.
- Amend off-street parking regulations to allow greater flexibility and to support businesses in targeted areas.
- Create opportunities for micro-delivery hubs, which support the use of smaller and electric last-mile delivery vehicles.
- Add flexibility to the Central City Master Plan amendments process.
In support this effort, staff conducted research and analyzed zoning concepts to increase development potential in the Central City. View a preliminary analysis of Central City height and FAR utilization:
Project timeline
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| January 12, 2026 | Discussion Draft released for public comment |
| January 20, 2026 | Discussion Draft information session 1 |
| January 21, 2026 | Discission Draft open house |
| January 29, 2026 | Discussion Draft information session 2 |
| February 13, 2026 | Public comment period closes on the Discussion Draft. Read submitted public comments. |
| April 21, 2026 | Proposed Draft released for public testimony. Read announcement. |
| May 26, 2026 | Planning Commission briefing + public hearing. Read submitted public testimony. |
| June 9, 2026 | Planning Commission work session |
| July 14, 2026 | Planning Commission work session + recommendation (tentative). Watch online. |
| Oct. 2026 | Portland City Council hearings |
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Portland's Central City and the Central City 2035 Plan
Portland’s Central City is Oregon’s urban center, with the densest population of people and jobs in the state. People from across the country are drawn to the Central City’s mix of urban vitality, compelling public spaces, innovative employment opportunities, rich transportation network, signature cultural amenities — and its connection to the Willamette River.
The Central City 2035 Plan (CC2035), completed in 2018, replaced the 1988 Central City Plan as the primary guiding policy document for the Central City, with goals, policies and tools designed to make Portland’s urban core more vibrant, innovative, sustainable and resilient — a place that every Portlander can be proud to call their own. The Plan builds upon the city’s traditions, honoring the history of the place while boldly moving forward in new directions.
The Plan is the first amendment to the City’s updated Comprehensive Plan, implementing the Portland Plan as it applies to the Central City.
The plan also includes an update to the 1987 Willamette Greenway Plan for the Central Reach, incorporating elements of the 2001 River Renaissance Vision into an exciting vision that will create a more vibrant, multi-purpose and habitat-rich Willamette riverfront.