The Rocky Mountain West is characterized as much by its vibrant and diverse communities as by its sweeping plains and rugged mountains. The annual Western Places/Western Spaces conference explores the social and development issues facing communities—from large cities to small towns—as well as concerns about managing and preserving our natural heritage. Join us March 7 & 8, 2019, as we explore these themes and more at the Western Places/Western Spaces — Designing for the Future: Building Enduring Value.
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The Western Planner is supported through donations. We offer our articles for FREE on our website and via bimonthly digital journals. Our content is written by actual planners in the West who understand the challenges of planning in the West and making our communities better places to live. If you value the coverage we provide, please make a donation. Every dollar counts! Please consider a $25, $50, $100 or higher donation. We are a nonprofit and your donations are tax deductible.
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
This article tells the story of a 30+ year process to construct a road between the Aleut community of King Cove, Alaska and the Cold Bay Airport. The challenge for this 12-mile road is that it must pass through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. This process has been a long, emotional, and politically hard-fought confrontation on a national level between environmentalists and the predominant Aleut population of King Cove. It has become a major confrontation of environmental ideologies, potential precedence-setting public land use decisions and health and safety issues. by Gary Hennigh, King Cove, Alaska
Upcoming Conferences
Downtowns & Main Street Planning
Urban Design and Planning
Transportation
Environmental Planning
Land Use
Demographics and Trends in Planning
State News
The North Dakota Planning Association (NDPA) hosted its annual conference this year in Grand Forks on September 13, 2018. See photos and the presentations from the conference.
Join APA Colorado in Keystone, Colorado for the 2018 APA Colorado State Conference as attendees work towards "Defining the Keystone of Planning." Planning for this annual event has just begun so check http://www.apacolorado.org/2018-conference for updates.
WYOPASS's spring conference will be held in Riverton on May 10 & 11.
Housing and Subdivisions
CHECK OUT OUR ARTICLE TOPICS
BOOK REVIEWS | DEMOGRAPHICS AND TRENDS | CONSERVATION | DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | EMPLOYMENT & CAREER | ENERGY DEVELOPMENT | ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING | ETHICS | FINANCE | FEATURED PLANNERS | HAZARD MITIGATION & DISASTER RECOVERY | HISTORIC PRESERVATION | HOUSING & SUBDIVISIONS | LAND USE | LEGAL ISSUES | PLANNERS TOOLBOX & TECHNOLOGY | PLANNING COMMISSIONERS' CORNER | PUBLIC PARTICIPATION | SCHOOLS | SUSTAINABILITY | TRANSPORTATION | TRIBAL PLANNING | URBAN DESIGN | ZONING & CODE