An Urban Planner in Butte, Montana

An exposé of a local urban planner isn't something you see every day—especially in Montana. Meet Julia Crain, of Butte, Montana.

1 minute read

October 30, 2018, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Rocky Mountains

Jontmh / Shutterstock

An article by Mike Smith for the Montana Standard puts a spotlight on the career if Julia Crain, an urban planner in the city of Butte, Montana.

Crain's career began like many professional planners do: with an unexpected turn toward urban planning in graduate school, which she attended at Portland State University. Now Crain has been working for the Butte-Silver Bow Planning Department since 2011.

"She’s worked on zoning issues, helped enhance open spaces such as the Big Butte, and handled programming aspects of Butte’s Superfund process through the Natural Resource Damage Program and other avenues," writes Smith.

There's nothing ironic or insincere about this coverage of an urban planner in Montana. From beginning to end, this is a story that's about a person who is deeply passionate about her community. 

Monday, October 29, 2018 in Montana Standard

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

A road in north eastern Nebraska with power lines on either side, and grassy fields.

Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity

Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.

November 6, 2026 - Grist

A rendering of a mall turned living space. People walk around a green space surrounded by apartments.

Malls are becoming the midtowns of the future

Mall and office park redevelopments are a generational opportunity to create new nodes of urbanity.

October 29, 2026 - Ben Schneider

A car drives through a puddle in NYC

NYC breaks ground on anti-flooding infrastructure project

New York City's new system will reduce stormwater flows to local sewers by 90%.

November 9 - Smart Cities Dive

Members of the Smoketown CLT gather for a photo

One Kentucky town’s secret to affordable housing

The Smoketown Community Land Trust has already built seven affordable homes for community members.

November 9 - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Two people stand under mesh coverings shaped like petals

Houston gains petal-shaped cooling infrastructure to make streets more ‘delightful’

The city has installed the pavilions along 15 blocks in Houston.

November 9 - De Zeen

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.