A new transportation corridor prompts the coordination of transportation and land use planning efforts in Boise.
"The (Boise) West End will go from a predominantly residential area to one that combines single-family homes, townhouses, condominiums and apartments with commercial hubs designed to serve the surrounding neighborhoods. Add a tree-lined avenue and buildings with clear design standards, and the area could become the city's next fashionable neighborhood.
Even many of the residents who have taken part in the expanded planning process seem to agree that there is plenty of room for improvement, but at what cost?
Some worry that new development could force lower-income families out of the area, and in the process, destroy the character of the diverse neighborhood.
"It's a question of affordability," said Miguel Gaddi, senior planner at HDR Engineering. "Are you going to enforce, or come up with some incentives where you ask developers to maintain a certain level of affordable properties?"
Gaddi has been studying the West End neighborhood as part of his work completing the specific area plan for the city. "If you don't have that mix, that vibrancy is not going to be there," Gaddi said."
Thanks to Jon Cecil, AICP
FULL STORY: 30th Street Master Plan
The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall
The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.
The Paradox of American Housing
How the tension between housing as an asset and as an essential good keeps the supply inadequate and costs high.
Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities
The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.
Anchorage Leaders Debate Zoning Reform Plan
Last year, the city produced the fewest new housing units in a decade.
How to Protect Pedestrians With Disabilities
Public agencies don’t track traffic deaths and injuries involving disabled people, leaving a gap in data to guide safety interventions.
Colorado Town Fills Workforce Housing Need With ‘Dorm-Style’ Housing
Median rent in Steamboat Springs is $4,000 per month.
City of Yakima
City of Auburn
Baylands Development Inc.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.