Boise Growth

Every year U.S. News and World Report releases a list of the best places to retire in America, based on everything from health care, taxes, affordability and even overall happiness. The new numbers have just come out, and Boise has jumped to a surprising number.

For several years now, housing has been listed as a top priority issue in Idaho and as the states population continues to grow the problem isn't getting any smaller. When it comes to addressing the housing crisis though, it's not just affordability that people are worried about, it's the solution and how that solution might impact neighborhoods, particularly in Boise.

As Boise citizens weigh in on a once-in-a-generation rewrite of the city’s zoning code, there are a select few issues that make the shortlist of concerns: density, movability, and parking. This is why the New York Times bestseller, Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World, is such a must-read.

Idaho Matters takes a look at population growth in the Gem State and how those numbers have changed over the last 10 years.

The Mountain West is home to the three fastest-warming cities in the country — and that’s due to more than climate change.

A new law lets homeowners remove racial covenants from their houses.

Meridian, Caldwell and Nampa all saw population increases over 5% last year, signaling economic strength and raising questions on how to serve both longtime and incoming residents.

The City of Boise’s new director of Planning and Development Services says wasting time on designing dysfunctional highways is “time that’s misplaced because it hasn’t worked in any city, anywhere in the world.”

Last week the Boise City Council unanimously approved the Pathways Masterplan. According to the proposed plan, once finished more than 75% of Boise residents will live within half a mile of a pathway.

Our Reporter Roundtable will get you caught up on the issues of the week on the latest edition of Idaho Matters.