Bend Central Core is a uniquely livable part of the city. The central core offers proximity to downtown, the Deschutes River, Mirror Pond, Juniper Park, many other smaller parks, and a variety of regional destinations; a walkable street grid; neighborhoods with historic character; successful small neighborhood centers and corridors (2^nd and 4^th Streets, 8^th and 9^th Streets, Newport Avenue, Galveston Avenue, SW 14^th Street); access to a high concentration of jobs by a variety of modes; and transit service. This blend of the “D” Variables (Density, Diversity, Design, and Destinations) is the foundation of the area’s livability and an important influence on travel behavior.

Rendering of 2^nd Street and Greenwood Avenue. Redevelopment of the area results in walkable streets and 3- to 5-story commercial and mixed use buildings.

National research has shown that the “D” variables (density, diversity of land uses, design, and destinations) are highly influential on how much walking, biking, transit use, and linking of trips occurs – which reduces the need to drive. This is important because the availability of transportation choices contributes to Bend’s overall livability. It is also important because state law requires the City to reduce the reliance of the automobile. The City has modeled vehicle miles traveled (VMT) per capita throughout the urban area under different growth scenarios as an indicator (required by the state) of reliance on the automobile.² Predictably, the Central Core showed the lowest levels of VMT per capita. The City’s TSP is intended to support the planned land use patterns of the Comprehensive Plan.

For all of the reasons described above, the Central Core is considered a particularly important part of the City’s growth management efforts. The success of Bend’s transition to more of an urban community will follow the continued growth, in appropriate areas, of the Central Core. It is important to note that placing a priority on growth within the Central Core does not mean that all areas should redevelop. In this context, “appropriate areas” means development and redevelopment on vacant lands, underutilized lands, and where development is designed to be compatible with adjacent, stable areas.

Aerial rendering of the Bend Central District with mixed use redevelopment and transitions to adjacent neighborhoods.

The Central Core area is shown on Figure 11-1. The “boundary” on this figure is illustrative only. The Central Core is a planning concept – its applicability to specific development and policy implementation needs to be interpreted on a case-by-case basis.

“Growing up” in appropriate areas within the Central Core, as well as transit corridors and opportunity areas, is a goal for Bend because these areas already have (or will have) the base infrastructure, population density, and urban amenity “completeness” that is needed for their success. They offer the best opportunities to reverse the growth of vehicle miles traveled per capita and increase walking, biking, transit, and linked trips by automobiles.