About the Design Review Temporary Suspension Project

Project purpose

This project will temporarily suspend most instances of mandatory design review for approximately two years and is the first phase of a larger effort to make permanent improvements to the design review process.

This effort is guided by the Design Review Reform Report, which offers recommendations for how to streamline the design review process to help spur development. This report was developed jointly by the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) and Portland Permitting & Development (PP&D) as requested per City Council Resolution No. 37725 in December 2025.

Phase 1: Temporarily suspend Design Review

The first phase of the project will temporarily suspend design review requirements and replace them with clear and objective standards. The goal is to expedite the development review process while maintaining commitment to urban design. In response to immediate economic needs, the first phase is on a quick timeline and is expected to be adopted by City Council in fall 2026.

Phase 2: Improve the Design Review process

During the temporary suspension, planning staff will work collaboratively with the public to develop permanent improvements to the design review process. These future improvements are expected to be adopted by City Council by the time the suspension sunsets.

Project background

View full size image of Las Adelitas, in Cully in northeast Portland, has red metal siding and a public mural designed to meet design review regulations for vibrant community spaces.

For more than 50 years, design regulations have played a central role in shaping the evolution of the city's built environment. These regulations help ensure that new development responds to neighborhood context, contributes to the public realm, and is built to last.

The Design Overlay Zone is applied in specific geographies and is implemented to advance the goals and policies of Portland's Comprehensive Plan. The Design Overlay Zone covers approximately 7.5% of the city and is primarily located in Central City, regional and urban centers, and other areas zoned for higher-density development. In the Design Overlay Zone, design review provides a flexible, performance-based approval pathway for proposed development that meets established design guidelines. Outside of the Central City Plan District, prescriptive design standards provide a clear and objective path as an alternative to design review.

Phase 1 project timeline

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Contact

Hillary Adam, Senior City Planner, Planning and Sustainability
hillary.adam@portlandoregon.gov
503-823-3294

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