Last June, the City of Pullman, Washington, approved a new downtown development complex intended for retail businesses as well as student housing. It will be the largest mixed-use residential development in Pullman’s downtown. by Jason Radtke, Pullman, Washington

Las Cruces, NM took an innovative approach for its 2016 Downtown Master Plan, which directly connects to the City’s Comprehensive Plan.The plan integrates the adjoining historic neighborhoods to weave together common central city goals, as well as economic and market analyses throughout the goals and strategies. Not to mention, the plan’s magazine-like layout dramatically improves reader engagement and readability. by Andrew Hume, AICP, MPA, Las Cruces, New Mexico

Due to the lack of paid planners and a state-sponsored Main Street program in Utah, many communities are left without the necessary resources to address struggling, unattractive main streets—many don’t know where to start. The State of Utah’s Community Development Office (CDO) saw a need for a simple, quality resource for citizen planners to use so that they can confidently assess their local main streets and identify needed improvements, then move towards positive change. They created the award-winning Main Street Sandwich Method for rural citizen planners to help assess a community’s main street. by Paul Moberly, AICP, Utah

Creating more walkable, bikeable communities has all sorts of other benefits too. Getting more people walking and cycling is good for the economy, reduces vehicular emissions, and facilitates social interaction among residents. This past October, residents of Raton, New Mexico met with other stakeholders to conduct a walkability workshop. by Jeff DeBellis, Albuquerque, New Mexico

A functional bicycle and pedestrian network is only as good as its weakest link. The Wasatch Front metropolitan area holds 85 percent of the state’s population within a thin stretch of land 100 miles long between the Wasatch Mountains and the Great Salt Lake.  Multiple jurisdictions, a large population, and a desire for consistent bicycle planning led to the need for a broad-based effort to engage cities regarding how they can make their communities better for bicycling and walking. by Scott Hess, Active Transportation Planner, Wasatch Front Regional Council

As part of the North Denver Cornerstone Collaborative effort, the City and County of Denver created the Mobility Master Plan in March 2016 that was led by HDR, Inc. The plan included developing layered multimodal transportation networks within these complex and historic neighborhoods to make travel easier and more convenient for people walking, biking, and taking transit. by Drew Parker

Heavenly Mountain Resort was the first Lake Tahoe resort to propose activities under a federal bill that allows the Forest Service to review and accept non-ski-related activities. by Nick Exline, AICP, Zephyr Cove, Nevada

More frequent and intense climate events result in increased demand on our emergency response systems, greater financial impacts, and greater public health impacts. The challenge is to effectively communicate the ever-increasing demands these events place on our communities and get individuals, communities, and government to prepare. by Katherine Mortimer, Santa Fe, New Mexico

This article looks at the methods and tools available to help cities become resilient for the imminent changes ahead. by Gretel Follingstad

The residents in and around the City of Sierra Vista, Arizona value their dark skies and the ability to observe celestial phenomena, so much so that this area has attracted numerous amateur astronomers from all over the country. When a local business owner requested a code amendment to allow Electronic Message Center (EMC) signs, which had been prohibited, the city created a sign task force to develop Sign and Outdoor Light Control amendments. Carefully crafted ordinancesgo a long way to protecting this important regional asset. by Jeff Pregler, AICP

The City of Williston, North Dakota needed a larger overhaul of sign regulations that truly took into account the wide variety of development types occurring in Williston as well as modernizing regulations. Education was a huge component of the ordinance effort. In the end, the city ended up with an ordinance that allows for more permanent signage for most properties, allows for more temporary signage, creates allowances for non-residential residentially zoned properties such as churches, creates flexibility for large commercial and campus-style properties, and represents and accommodates the needs of stakeholders. by Rachel Laqua

Small towns face enormous hurdles in enforcing code. This article highlights the importance of small towns having strategies that work for their unique situation.  Although this article is directed to small-town leaders, the principles inherent in code enforcement strategies can benefit leaders, planners, and code enforcement officers in any community. by Kyle Slaughter