Ordinance No. 18686 - Laserfiche WebLink

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B. Economic Element In recent years, there has been a strong structural shift in the Eugene - S p r i n g f i e l d metropolitan area's economy. This shift is characterized by three trends (1) a decline in the lumber and wood products industry as a source of employment and an increase in employment in other manufac- turing activities; (2) diversification of the non-manufacturing segments of the local economy primarily in trade, services, finance, insurance, and real estate; (3) the development of this metropolitan area a regional trade and service center serving Southern and Eastern Oregon. two The first t trends, are consistent with changes that are occur i ng in other portions .,of the state and throughout the nation and are the result of rising real 'incomes (leading to increased consumption and demand for services) and higher productivity of labor in manufacturing. the econo of the Eu ene -S .r i n field metropolitan area is I n general, y g P g p rojected to grow with the majority of employment opportunities in the a non - manufacturing fields of wholesale and retail trade, finance, insur- ance, and real estate and in manufacturing sectors other than lumber - and. products roducts and food products. This growth should offset the declines t i ndustr in employment in the lumber and wood products y. ro `ected growth i n th'i s area's economy, i t i s essent Given the p � g ial. that . an adequate supply (qu ad qual itati'vely) of commerce al and i n'dustri al land be available. An adequate' supply of land includes not only sites sufficient in size to accommodate the needs-of the commercial or industrial operat i ons (including expa ns ion ), but - al so includes sites which are attractive from the .standpoint of esthetics, transportation costs labor costs, availability_ of skilled labor,' natural resource avail- a b i l i t y , proximity to ' markets , and anticipated growth of local markets . Ih striving toward LCDC' s Statewide Economic Goal, "to diversify and improve the economy of the state, " the Eugene-Sp metropolitan p area must take advantage of and encourage the further diversification of this area's economic activities. and role as a regional center. This diversification and growth can improve the opportunities for presently underutilized human resources and general raise the stan dard of living for metropolitan area residents. Implicit in the goals and objectives that follow - i s the premi that it P i neither economi growth per se nor industrial devel o P meet as an end . in itself which is desirable. Rather, -it is the improved wel fare of the residents of the metropolitan area, measured by change in unempl oy- ment - real incomes and environmental quality which i s the ultimate goals of all economic efforts. Simple aggregate' growth or industria expan- sion is acceptable only insofar as it-is consistent with these goals and objectives. III -B -1