Located 12 miles southeast of Portland, Oregon, the Damascus/Boring area is now included in the Portland Metro urban growth boundary. A Concept Plan is underway that will serve as a guide for future development and creation of land use, transportation, natural resources and public facilities plans and policies in Damascus. For the purpose of this case study, researchers will collect data to document and investigate the impact of community involvement and early and ongoing participation of active living advocates on the planning process of the Damascus/Boring Concept Plan. Considering that the population of the Damascus area is projected to quadruple in size within the next 20 years, studying the development of the Concept Plan and its potential impact on active living systems may help guide large scale urban planning methods for other progressive communities also located on the cusp of urban areas.
