Idaho

Boise Faces Growing Pains From West Coast Migration
As more people head to Idaho to escape cities they cannot afford, Boise is encouraging growth and also grappling with the consequences.

Californians Are Leaving the State for More Affordable, Greener Pastures
Skyrocketing housing costs in California are pushing people out to other parts of the country.

Court: It's Cruel and Unusual Punishment to Ban Homeless From Sleeping on Streets
A 2009 law that banned sleeping in public spaces has been ruled unconstitutional by a federal appeals court.

Sometime This Summer, California's Population Tops 40 Million
Rather than projecting when the 50 million milestone will be reached, demographic and political indicators predict the state's population is more likely to decline, according to Joe Mathews of Zócalo Public Square.

Public Lands Score Two Political Victories in Idaho Governor's Race
It's been a tough couple of years for advocates of public lands. Could the cause of conserving and protecting public lands be gaining public support in a staunchly conservative state?

Growth and Change Take Hold in Boise
Rapid growth is now the trend in a region that faced some of the worst effects of the Great Recession.

Housing Affordability Challenges Visit Idaho
Boise and surrounding cities are going to need new housing to meet the demand of tens of thousands of new residents in the coming years.

Half of Idaho's Treasure Valley Farmland Could Disappear by 2100
Boise State University researchers have published a detailed study and online maps that lay out possible scenarios for urban growth in Idaho's Treasure Valley in one of the fastest-growing states in the Union.

How the West Got Bigger, Badder Fires
Two new books chronicle the origin of U.S. policy on wildfire, the damage that policy has done, and why it’s unlikely to change any time soon.

Which States Grew Fastest; Which States Lost Population
The U.S. Census has released new state-level population data for the past year.

Boise Residents Revolt Over Planned CVS
A huge public response shows that the booming city is defining a new future with smart growth.

Three Congressional Bills Respond to Western Wildfires
Two GOP bills and one bipartisan Senate bill hope to reduce the wildfire risk in the West. The "Wildfires Management Act of 2017" is sponsored by the two Republican senators of Idaho and three of the four Democratic senators of Washington and Oregon.
Idaho Governor Stands Against Using General Fund Money for Highway Expansion
Writing that a $320 million transportation finance bill "violates my user-pay, pay-as-you-go philosophy toward transportation funding," Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter explained why he allowed the bill to become law without his signature.

Bus or Streetcar? Boise Ponders a 'Circulator' Through Downtown
While what exact form it will take is uncertain, the idea of a circulator running a loop through Downtown Boise is gaining support.

As Development Booms in Downtown Boise, Easy Parking Gets Tougher
The influx of new workers and residents in Downtown Boise has lead to a parking crunch, raising parking rates and leaving city officials searching for alternative solutions.

Farmland Preservation a Hot Topic in Idaho's Most Populous County
As the city of Boise and surrounding communities in Ada County, Idaho continue to grow and sprawl outward, agricultural land in the county may become a thing of the past.
Michigan the Latest to Preempt Municipalities from Banning Plastic Bags
Michigan has joined a small but growing list of states that have passed laws prohibiting municipalities from banning single-use plastic bags or charging for bags, as is done in California. Critics assail it as an 'attack on local control.'

Planetizen Week in Review: September 24, 2016
More than one city made big planning news this week. You only need two minutes and thirty seconds to find out more.

Boise Completes Its Greenbelt
Decades in the making, Boise's 26-mile Greenbelt now spans the length of the city following completion of the last remaining one-mile segment.

Wouldn't It be Nice if Legislators Were Rewarded for Voting to Increase the Gas Tax?
Surprisingly, legislators are rewarded for supporting new gas taxes: they get reelected, according to a new analysis by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association. What's more, they overwhelmingly hail from red states.
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