Rapid growth is now the trend in a region that faced some of the worst effects of the Great Recession.

Jim Carlton reports from Boise, where statistics and anecdotes tell a story of rapid growth and resulting concern.
According to Carlton, "[l]ow costs and a business-friendly government are luring new employers, whose workers relish the backdrop of forested mountains above cities like Boise and the easy access to an outdoor paradise." The state of Idaho was the fastest growing state in the nation as a result.
"But as Idaho—and its capital city—have boomed, the state is also struggling to cope with the byproducts of its success: soaring housing prices, labor shortages and worsening traffic congestion in one of the more wide-open places in America," adds Carlton. The results in the housing market, for instance, are starting to look like the places Boise's new residents recently departed. Median single-family home prices in Ada County have doubled since 2011. Carklton finds evidence that rents are going up too. Earlier in March, Planetizen also picked up on news of a lack of affordable housing in Boise. There have also been reports of development opposition and a rapid loss of farmland on the city's periphery.
The article might be behind a paywall for some readers.
FULL STORY: Boise, Idaho, Feels the Growing Pains of a Surging Population

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

San Francisco Muni Raises Fares a Second Time
A 10–cent fare hike for adults is part of the agency’s plan to chip away at a growing budget deficit.

Electric Grid Capacity Could Hamstring EV Growth
Industry leaders say the U.S. electric grid is unprepared for the increased demand for power created by electric cars, data centers, and electric homes.

Texas Bill Supports Adaptive Reuse in Commercial Areas
Senate Bill 840, which was preliminarily approved by the state House, would allow residential construction in areas previously zoned for offices and commercial uses.
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.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions