YLC Receives Crash Course in Urban Renewal

And Explores Merits and Means of Inclusive Development 

December 9, 2024  - LAKE OSWEGO MAIN FIRE STATION

On Monday, the Youth Leadership Council met to discuss the second of their strategic goals: incentivizing inclusive development.

With the guidance of YLC members Ria Gupta and Holly Fowler, the group talked through the necessary aspects of inclusive development: most notably, it needed to be affordable, as the average house price in Lake Oswego (now over $1 million) was unachievable for the average family. YLC members discussed strategies for balancing competing community needs, sustaining momentum, and creating a welcoming culture that supports new residents.  

According to Redevelopment Manager Sidaro Sin, the considerations raised by the YLC mirror those facing members of the City Council. Sin outlined the Statewide Land Use Planning Goals and the City’s comprehensive planning process and contextualized the work of the Lake Oswego Redevelopment Agency (LORA): founded in 1979, LORA serves as the “developer arm” of the city, planning and overseeing urban renewal projects throughout Lake Oswego. Sin explained the basics of urban renewal projects to the YLC, who learned about how projects are funded without new taxes, the transformative impact of redevelopment on downtown, the City’s recent redevelopment project on Boones Ferry Road, and the next potential urban renewal area: Foothills.

The next Youth Leadership Council meeting will take place on January 6th. Learn more about the Lake Oswego Redevelopment Agency here. Applications for the 2025-26 Youth Leadership Council open April 2025; for more information, consult the YLC webpage or follow the YLC Instagram at @loteenlounge.