An article by Sven Borg for the Idaho Statesmen introduces the concept of infill while also detailing some of the challenges facing a wave of development in Downtown Boise.
"Infill is popular at City Hall in large part because it fits the broader mission of reducing people's reliance on cars," writes Sven Borg. "Boise's comprehensive plan identifies dozens of intersections throughout the city that planners deemed 'activity center nodes,' or places where a variety of housing types and commercial uses are easy to get to."
Borg's coverage includes details on a few specific infill projects of recent years to describe some of the challenges facing the city's infill goals. One challenge is the opposition of neighbors and, sometimes, preservationists. The other challenge is a lack of expertise on the part of local developers: "Most of Boise's developers have little or no experience mixing commercial and residential space in a cohesive, dense design. They'd rather focus on Downtown office buildings or put together suburban housing subdivisions."
Despite the challenges, the article portrays Boise as a welcoming environment for development, especially as compared to cities in California.
FULL STORY: In Boise, development turns to filling in gaps
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
Eviction Looms for Low-Income Tenants as Rent Debt Rises
Nonprofit housing operators across the country face almost $10 billion in rent debt.
Brightline West Breaks Ground
The high-speed rail line will link Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area.
Colorado Bans No-Fault Evictions
In most cases, landlords must provide a just cause for evicting tenants.
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
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.