Description: A statewide land use dataset was created to represent the many ways land is currently used. There are several related datasets that are often used as surrogates for land use: zoning data represents how land is allowed to be used as dictated by local jurisdictions; and comprehensive plan data are used to represent a community’s long-term vision of how and where land will be developed over the next 20 years to accommodate expected population and job growth. The statewide land use data leverages county assessor data to form a consistent basis for a statewide land use classification system. County assessors assign a property classification code to each parcel in Oregon in order to assess its value for tax purposes. This coding system is part of the Oregon Cadastral Data Exchange Standard and is used by all counties in Oregon. Every year, the counties deliver a copy of their assessor data to the Oregon Department of Revenue (DOR) for use by DOR and all state agencies.Multiple state and regional government agencies have a business need for land use data that can be analyzed across administrative boundaries. Land use data for individual counties is not currently available for any Oregon county. However, county tax assessor data are available on a county-by-county basis and most counties use a standard set of property classification codes. Nevertheless, the counties may apply the property codes to individual parcels differently or may create custom codes for their use. The statewide land use dataset is the result of an aggregation of the individual county data into a set of codes that can be applied statewide. This aggregation and property class code normalization allows cross-jurisdictional analyses. (Attribute normalization is a process of transforming a variable into a more analytically useful form.)For property codes that are unique to a particular jurisdiction, the data steward will group the local property class codes based on the majority of similar code descriptions. (The local property class code descriptions are provided by the local jurisdictions.) A crosswalk table is used to catalog all of the various local codes that are then grouped into a set of statewide codes which allows for an apples-to-apples comparison across administrative boundaries. The county property codes, along with other supplemental attributes, can be used to identify properties that meet a specific criterion, such as properties where a manufactured structure is present, or a dwelling is present. This information aids GIS analyses like hazard risk assessments or development trend analyses and assists with the identification of specific land uses in ‘mixed-use areas’ such as industrial use with forest or farm practices. Note: this data does not include any parcel information commonly found in tax assessor data such as landowner information or property values.
Copyright Text: The Statewide Land Use Dataset was created with funds from the Oregon Framework Data Development Program.