As Boise looks to a future of growth and expansion, it is hoping to acquire nearly 2,000 acres of unused federal land from the Bureau of Land Management. But a neighboring suburb also wants to claim the land.
The Boise suburb of "Kuna filed a plan with the Bureau of Land Management to spend $78.5 million to build everything from picnic areas and playgrounds to an industrial site and a golf course on 1,760 acres."
"It's a bold proposal by the fast-growing city of 14,000, which has a total annual budget of about $13.3 million (not including a $30 million Local Improvement District). The city's application to BLM says the sites would be developed through public-private partnerships."
Several municipalities have been interested in the two parcels, prompting one open-space advocate to call for a regional approach to planning recreational and other public uses there.
This public land rush is enabled by the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, which was enacted by Congress in 1954 and is administered by the Bureau of Land Management.
The law authorizes the sale or lease of public lands for recreational or public purposes to state and local governments and qualified nonprofits.
FULL STORY: Valley cities are drawn to BLM lands
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands
An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
City of Laramie, Wyoming
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.