November 20th is GIS Day! At Winterbrook Planning, GIS is central to our work, including some of our projects with Oregon’s Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) to address housing challenges across the state.

One standout project is our collaboration with the City of Dayton. With funding from DLCD’s housing planning assistance grants, our team—led by Senior Planner Grace Coffey, AICP, and including Maddy Poehlein—has been working to prepare a residential buildable lands inventory (BLI) using GIS mapping. This analysis identifies land availability and constraints, providing actionable insights to guide housing production, affordability, and choice.

In addition to the BLI, Winterbrook is conducting an audit of Dayton’s comprehensive plan and engaging the public to address housing needs and explore middle housing options. GIS plays a vital role in visualizing opportunities and gathering community input, ensuring the plan reflects local priorities. This work will lay the foundation for Dayton’s 2025 Housing Capacity Analysis (HCA) and beyond.

Dayton – Constrained Lands

Dayton – Estimated Buildable Acres by Development Status and Zone

Dayton – Residentially designated lands

Dayton is just one of the communities benefiting from our GIS expertise. Winterbrook is also assisting Happy Valley, Rainier, Sweet Home, and Tangent under DLCD’s housing planning assistance program. These projects include housing production strategies, comprehensive plan updates, and zoning revisions to support growth and housing goals.

As we celebrate GIS Day, we recognize the power of this technology in creating more inclusive, sustainable communities.

Happy GIS Day from all of us at Winterbrook Planning.