How can states like Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico and others compete against their larger and more metropolitan neighbors in workforce attraction and retention? And then it hit me - baseball. by Aric A. Jensen, AICP

The 2019 Alaska Chapter of the American Planning Association State Planning Conference was a huge success. The following awards were presented and celebrated: Comprehensive Plan Award - Sitka 2030 Comprehensive Plan; Award for Planning Leadership - Planning Advocate of the Year—Sara Jansen; Award for Planning Team - Municipality of Anchorage Long-Range Planning Division; and Award for a Leader, Planner of the Year - John Czarnezki, Director of Economic Development and Planning for the City of Soldotna, AK. by Jon Cecil, AICP, Anchorage, AK

The Western Governors’ Association is launching an initiative in July 2019 to examine the challenges facing rural western communities and identify strategies to improve economic development opportunities, infrastructure, and quality of life in the rural West. WGA invites you to share your perspective to help shape the initiative.

The article is about the City of Phoenix, citizen groups, and the light rail expansion into South Phoenix where the design desires of citizens differ from project-funded design. On September 26, 2018, the Phoenix City Council voted to continue to move forward with the current two-lane design for the South Central Light Rail Extension. The vote followed a previous council decision, which requested Valley Metro look into a four-lane design and conduct extensive community outreach. by Joshua Matthews, AICP

Western wildfires in recent years demonstrate the urgency in which we need to adapt to fire in order to be more resilient in the communities we call home. This article describes what may be called the modern wildfire situation with some of the forces driving wildfire conditions today, resources, and a community example planners can use to participate in wildfire adaptation in their communities. by Christopher Jones, Globe, Arizona

Joy Hill has served as the Director of Planning and Zoning in Park County, Wyoming since June 2018. Prior to that, she was the Land Planner/GIS Manager for Big Horn County, Wyoming for six years.

Meet Angela Parker, AICP, CFM, who most recently served as president of the Western Planning Resources board which publishes the Western Planner. She has worked GIS projects in the areas Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska. Today she is the Land Planner/GIS Manager for Big Horn County, Wyoming.

Beginning in 2014, fast-rising rents and home prices in Boulder fueled a city-led communitywide housing conversation, Housing Boulder. As part of this conversation, cooperative housing was proposed as a tool to expand housing choice. Unlike elsewhere, the definition of cooperative housing in Boulder isn’t solely resident shareholders in a corporation that owns a building. It is a group living arrangement with consensus governance and shared responsibility and resources. by Crystal Launder and Sloane Walbert, AICP

Welcome to 2019! I begin the year as the not so new president of Western Planning Resources, the publisher of Western Planner, having served in this capacity several years ago. Many thanks to Angela Parker, our outgoing president, who has relocated from Alaska to Wyoming and remains on the board.

As part of Western Planner’s mission to be a resource for planners in the West, we are pleased to offer all WP articles published since 1980 FOR FREE. That is over 2,223 articles covering 37 years of planning issues in the West!

Dedicating his career to determining what makes cities thrive, planner Jeff Speck, AICP released his latest book "Walkable City Rules: 101 Steps to Making Better Places." He recently answered three questions from the Western Planner.

The local tiers of government in Cass County consist of the county, 27 incorporated cities, several additional unincorporated villages, 49 townships, and four water resource districts. This article, more specifically, will explore the role of the Cass County Planning Office and how it teams with the Townships. Republished courtesy the North Dakota Planning Association Newsletter. by Hali A Durand, Cass County, North Dakota

As more people move to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), development will continue to affect the region’s ecological health. For 17 years, Valley Advocates for Responsible Development (Valley Advocates) has advocated for responsible growth management in the Teton Valley of Idaho and Wyoming, working to preserve our corner of the GYE. However, we’ve found that focusing on future growth alone is not enough to protect our treasured ecosystem. In addition, our regional community must also work to correct the development mistakes of the past. by Shawn Hill, Valley Advocates for Responsible Development