The economic playbook Oregon built in the 1990s was smart and effective, aligning land use, infrastructure and industry in ways that made Oregon a leader in advanced manufacturing and trade. But the world has changed, and Oregon hasn’t kept up.

We can no longer coast on a dated economic strategy. Metro’s 2024 Urban Growth Report projects slowing population and manufacturing growth—signaling that, without a new strategy, our economic trajectory will flatten just as peer states accelerate. If we accept that forecast, we are choosing stagnation.

Oregon needs a new playbook—one that treats growth as essential to funding public services, not as a threat to be managed. We need large, infrastructure-ready sites, predictable permitting, modern incentives and leadership committed to proactive eco

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