In the Nov. 5 Iowa State Daily, Kate Kompas reported on State Representative Ed Fallon’s issue of urban sprawl. This may be a rising issue in Iowa, but the state of Oregon has been wrestling with urban sprawl and urban-growth boundaries for 20 years now.

While geographically very different, Oregon and Iowa have similar populations, both containing around three million residents.

Oregon implemented urban-growth boundaries in the 1970s to avoid Los Angeles-like urban sprawl. The state also wanted to conserve the limited amount of farmland the state possesses.

While Iowa doesn’t have to worry about a lack of farmland, there are many benefits to urban-growth boundaries.

The first benefit to be seen in the implementation of urban-growth boundaries is an increase in the value of innercity real estate. Limiting the amount of new land that can be developed forces developers to return to the innercity for places to develop.

These benefits are easily visible in the Portland metropolitan area. Portland’s metro area covers four counties, two states and nearly two million people.

Yet, due to the urban-growth boundaries, the most rundown parts of Portland, located in north Portland, have been rejuvenated. A marked increase in property values has occurred in the worst parts of the city.

This rejuvenation has been possible because the developers who would normally be focusing on building mansions in the suburbs have found a lucrative business in propping up the rundown parts of town.

Other benefits to implementing urban-growth boundaries range from decreased commute times, decreased congestion and decreased pollution, just to name a few. While Des Moines and Portland are vastly different from one another, they can both learn from what the other has done.

Iowa is a beautiful state with little pollution and crime, and it is important to remember that we have to work to keep it that way. North Des Moines can be reinvented just as North Portland has been.

Des Moines should set the standard for other cities like it to follow.

Aaron C. Whiteford

Former Ames resident

Portland, Oregon