Education

Established in 2012, LULI is training the next generation of land use leaders.

About LULI

We know that the integrity of the land use system is best supported by active civic involvement of residents in their own communities. That's why we've always worked with local residents to ensure that land use decisions are informed and sound. To enhance that work, we started the Land Use Leadership Initiative (LULI) in 2012 to educate and activate local leaders and passionate community members on land use issues. 

Initially, LULI was a statewide program, but over the years we've recognized that the program was best tailored to regional areas with a focus on issues that are relevant to participants. 

All elected officials in Oregon should be required to take a course like this. I learned more in a few weeks than I did in four years as a Medford City Council member.

-John Statler, LULI graduate

Land Use Leadership Initiative participants (also known as LULIs) connect through interactive training, site visits, and workshops. The program showcases Oregon’s innovative land use planning system, highlights the most-pressing land development issues and creates a forum for LULIs to further hone leadership skills to help create and advance solutions to issues that matter to them.

In 2018 we expanded the LULI program and held our first out-of-Metro cohort in Southern Oregon to empower current and emerging land use leaders across Oregon. After a third LULI program in Southern Oregon in 2022 we held the first Central Oregon LULI starting in the fall 2022.

We have now run ten cohorts, graduating over 200 LULIs! Our plan is to expand into more areas of the state and to continue to offer two cohorts a year.

 

The 2019 Metro-area LULI tours Cully
2019 LULI cohort

Who should apply to LULI

  • Do you have a passion for making a difference in your community? 

  • Do you want to expand your advocacy tools and have a greater impact? 

  • Do you love Oregon and want to protect our farms and forests, conserve natural areas, and enhance quality of life in urban and rural communities? 

  • Do you want your local government to take the challenges addressing climate change and social and racial equity seriously? 

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then LULI might be the right fit for you! 

“I was given an amazing opportunity that reminded me why I advocate for affordable housing. This program gave me resources to use and go to when working on land use issues with others.” – Princess F. | LULI Southern Oregon Graduate 2018

 

About us

1000 Friends of Oregon was founded in 1974 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit public interest watchdog for government agencies tasked with managing land use issues.  For almost half a century, we've operated independently of partisan politics, holding local governments and state agencies accountable to ensure that the innovative system Oregon adopted with Senate Bill 100 (most commonly known through urban growth boundaries and farmland protection) is carried out true to the spirit of sustainable land use. 

 

2018 SO LULI Graduates
2018 Southern Oregon LULI cohort

What does the LULI program look like?

Only about 24 people are selected to participate in each cohort, and applying is often very competitive. We encourage any interested person to apply, and we work hard to create diverse cohorts consisting of people from all racial, gender, socio-economic, and political backgrounds.

Get notified when LULI applications open

Over the course of nine sessions, LULIs participate in interactive workshops, site visits, and trainings that cover the fundamentals of land use policy. LULIs also have the opportunity to develop and hone leadership skills such as advocacy, public speaking, research, and public engagement. The LULI program features:

  • An orientation where LULI participants connect and network, learn about the creation of Oregon’s land use planning system and establish goals for the program.
  • Interactive training sessions with community leaders, agency staff, elected officials, and data specialists.
  • Skill-building opportunities, where LULIs work with each other and with seasoned activists and decision-makers to become more effective champions of their own issues.
  • Reviews, where LULIs can interact with session speakers and LULI graduates to reflect on lessons from throughout the LULI program. 
  • Support for ongoing connection with past and future LULI fellows and 1000 Friends of Oregon policy staff.
  • Assistance with transportation, childcare, and other program expenses.
  • Access to an online portal with session materials, speaker contact information, and interactive forum to connect with the LULI network.

“LULI was important to me personally, along with my career efforts. Because of LULI, I realized more clearly that I wanted to pursue a career in planning, and I am now set to begin PSU's MURP program this fall! I also know that I have a solid network of LULI's that I can reach out to for questions or information – priceless!” – Stuart C. | LULI 2014-15

 

Our 2022-2023 Central Oregon LULI cohort

The 2022-2023 LULI program was located in Central Oregon and consisted of nine training sessions from October 2022 through March 2023. Each session focused in-depth on specific local issues to provide participants with a deeper understanding of land use advocacy. Topics include: Land Use 101, Urban Growth Boundaries, Housing, Transportation, Resource Lands, Water, Wildfire and Climate Change. Food, childcare, and transportation assistance available. Thanks to our sponsors, there is no cost for participants.

 

 

For any general questions about the LULI program, use this form to contact us.

 

 

We wouldn’t be able to provide free leadership trainings without generous support. Thank you to this year’s partners: AARP Oregon, Central Oregon Land Watch, the Wheeler Foundation, the Carpenter Foundation, AllCare Health, Oregon Community Foundation, Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, the Department of Land Conservation & Development and Oregon Department of Transportation's Transportation Growth Management Program.

 

 

LULIs over the years
Past LULI Focuses
  • 2012  Statewide | Oregon's Statewide Planning Goals & Guidelines
  • 2013  Statewide | Oregon's Statewide Planning Goals & Guidelines
  • 2014  Portland Metro | Climate Smart Communities
  • 2016  Portland Metro | Southwest Corridor Project
  • 2018  Southern Oregon | Oregon's Statewide Planning Goals & Guidelines, and Local Housing Issues & Solutions
  • 2019  Portland Metro | Climate Smart Communities Revisited
  • 2020 Southern Oregon | Housing Issues & Solutions and Wildfire
  • 2021  Portland Metro & Southern Willamette Valley | Missing Middle Housing and Effective Advocacy
  • 2022  Southern Oregon | Housing Issues & Solutions and Wildfire
2022 CURRICULUM AT-A-GLANCE
  • Orientation
  • Where did the land use program come from, and how is it structured?
  • The whys and hows of urban growth boundaries
  • Housing for all
  • Transportation that works for everyone
  • Building (and re-building) fire- and climate-resilient communities
  • Agriculture and food systems
  • Healthy forests, energy facilities, and other rural land use issues
  • Ins and outs of advocacy