Policy Innovation
What can land do?
In a sustainable future, land is not only secured for wilderness, farms and livable cities—it works for us to do much more. With the right land policies and the right partners, we can leverage growth to conserve farmland, create jobs, revitalize small towns, reduce wildfires, cut greenhouse emissions and more.
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Transfer of Development Rights
Forterra is recognized as a national expert in designing market-based programs that incentivize growth in areas where it’s desired while conserving resource land and natural areas.
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LCLIP (Landscape Conservation and Local Infrastructure Program)
This groundbreaking program creates incentives for both conservation and community support by combining an incentive-based real estate tool called TDR with a public infrastructure financing tool called tax increment financing. The outcome? Conservation of the farms, forests and natural areas we all appreciate and from which we benefit, as well as much-needed funding to provide what we need to create and support vibrant, livable cities.
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Growing Transit Communities
Forterra is one of the original partners to the Growing Transit Communities effort, a $5 million regional planning effort led by PSRC, and is working to implement key strategies identified in the plan at the local level.
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Cross laminated timber
Forterra and partners are actively working to develop market opportunities for engineered heavy panel wood products, notably cross laminated timber. Known collectively as “mass timber” products, these promising building materials offer a variety of benefits in terms of their ability to lower the costs of construction in our cities, support rural economic development, and reduce carbon emissions associated with climate change.
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Federal Way urban agriculture
Forterra and partners developed urban agriculture policies to ensure that all city residents have an opportunity to access fresh, locally grown food.
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Complete Streets
Forterra successfully passed award-winning Complete Streets programs in Edmonds and Ocean Shores, ensuring future roads and street improvements work for all users, whether walking, cycling, using transit or driving and for people of all ages and abilities.
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Central Issaquah plan
We were very active supporting the development of the Central Issaquah Plan, which will guide the long-term evolution of the city’s commercial core from a collection of strip malls, parking lots and office buildings into a more sustainable urban area.