Billings, Montana (Pop. 109,058) Planning for Growth

According to Mike Ferguson, "[by] August 2015, [Director of Billings Planning and Community Development Department Candi] Millar will describe and map potential growth scenarios and will have the county portion of the growth plan complete. By January 2016, she’ll have quantified the impacts of expected growth and selected preferred scenario elements. In May 2016, the preferred development option should be complete."

Even at its current, modest growth rates, Billings is likely to see substantial changes over the next few decades. "Even at its current growth rate — an average of 1.5 percent per year — Billings’ population will increase by more than 40,000 people in 20 years, to about 151,000. Two percent growth would push that number to about 180,000, and a 3 percent growth rate would push Billings’ population to more than 250,000 people by 2035."

So far, public feedback informing the planning process has included "affordable housing, mixed-use neighborhoods, access to schools, complete streets, attractive entryways, parks, safe neighborhoods and infill development," according to the article.  

So far Millar and her team are focusing on four growth scenarios in creating the beyond Billings plan: "Those are north of the city limits, between Alkali Creek and Rehberg Ranch; urban renewal in South Billings; growth in open space farmland southwest and southeast of the city limits; and managed growth in Billings’ West End."