As housing prices rise all over the country, quickly growing states like Colorado, Idaho, and Utah are transforming in ways some residents didn't anticipate or desire. Such circumstances are a breeding ground for anti-development politics.
Sophie Quintron reports on the growing development backlash in parts of the West, exemplified by Colorado, Idaho, and Utah.
Colorado’s job growth has a downside. Along the urban corridor where the Rocky Mountains meet the plains, home prices are climbing, luxury apartments are multiplying, and commuters are getting stuck in traffic. Parking spaces on some main streets and popular trailheads are jampacked.
Now some locals, frustrated with the pace of development, are trying to slow it down.
Anti-growth sentiments are gaining traction in more western communities, like around Boise and Salt Lake City, as well. According to multiple sources cited in the article, anti-development politics have a western flavor in these places, but the challenges of housing reflect national trends.
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Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association