Proposed Update to Boise Zoning Code Would Boost Density, Discourage Sprawl

A proposed update to the city of Boise’s zoning code aims to reimagine the Idaho city to be more sustainable, equitable, and affordable through adjusting regulations on “Building heights. Parking requirements. Neighborhood markets. Lot sizes. Transit. Mixed-use complexes.”

As Ian Max Stevenson reports in the Idaho Statesman, “Boise hopes to avoid the pitfalls of sprawl, unaffordability and car reliance that many other cities have faced” as the city grows. The revised zoning rules would permit higher density, include affordable housing incentives, decrease minimum lot sizes, and reduce parking requirements.

“While many of the zoning revisions relate to allowed uses themselves, Boise is also planning to streamline application processes for projects that planners want to see.” The new rules would incentivize adaptive reuse of older buildings and create mixed-use districts near transit corridors and other activity centers.

Critics of the plan say permitting more density outright would remove leverage from the city and could lead to the destruction of affordable housing. The city also lacks a comprehensive public transit system to encourage people to reduce their car use. Boise city planner Tim Keane acknowledges this weakness and says more transit investment is needed, but that how the city grows is a crucial component. “If you don’t have the development pattern, you’ll never have a transit system.”