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
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Orlando Pledges to Improve Walkability
A city report highlights successes and failures in building safer transportation infrastructure and reducing VMT in 2023.
New York Transit Agency Launches Performance Dashboard
The tool increases transparency about the agency’s performance on a variety of metrics.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
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
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
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.