Sponsored content contributed by AOC Business Partner: UrbanForm
Counties and jurisdictions across Oregon are navigating an era of heightened collective responsibility. From meeting ambitious housing targets and newly adopted state mandates to managing limited staff capacity and budgets, local governments are under pressure to deliver more and faster with fewer resources. One of the most persistent and fundamental barriers is zoning: not just the rules themselves, but the very nature of how those rules are accessed and communicated. This is the information infrastructure of zoning.
In 2024, the Yamhill County region piloted a new approach that offers valuable lessons for jurisdictions statewide. Working alongside 10 incorporated cities, elected officials, local housing leaders, major employers, and non-profit housing advocacy groups, Yamhill set out to reduce friction in its development process by creating a shared zoning resource accessible across the county. To power this work, the region adopted UrbanForm, a digital platform that translates thousands of pages of zoning code into verifiable parcel-specific answers to questions like: What can be built here? What are the known constraints? What’s the fastest path forward?
The benefits quickly became clear to stakeholders on both sides of the counter. City staff who previously spent hours researching zoning details were able to point folks towards an interactive map that could generate accurate parcel-level reports in minutes. This freed up limited planning capacity, improved the quality of applications, and reduced the basic information retrieval and back-and-forth that often clogs up staff time and slows projects down. Smaller jurisdictions in particular gained access to a level of planning support they would not have had on their own—creating more equity across the county. For developers, the availability of instant access to basic zoning information meant reduced risk and an open-to-business, customer-service oriented, getting-to-yes mentality.
Perhaps the most important takeaway, however, is not technological but cultural. UrbanForm Yamhill’s success came from acting as a convener: bringing cities, employers, and housing advocates into a collaborative framework where zoning was treated as shared infrastructure rather than siloed local code and knowledge. That trust created a foundation for faster permitting, clearer communication, and stronger alignment between public and private partners. It also demonstrated that innovation does not always require starting from scratch—sometimes it means building a better bridge between systems that already exist.
Results from Yamhill have won the project an award from the regional Council of Governments. But the most telling measure of success may be the simplest: the positive word-of-mouth amongst government staffers that have led to the adoption of UrbanForm across 26 jurisdictions, and counting, in Oregon this year alone.
By approaching zoning clarity as a regional responsibility—one that supports staff, empowers cities, and reduces barriers for housing and infrastructure—counties can position themselves as leaders in meeting Oregon’s most urgent challenges. As the state continues to pursue ambitious housing goals and climate-friendly land use policies, having zoning information that is accurate, transparent, and accessible will be critical to success.
The lesson is simple: when zoning becomes clear, collaboration becomes easier, and communities move forward together.