Community

IOWA FALLS-Emphasizing the arts, developing culture and celebrating history is not just a way for a people to pass the time or enjoy themselves. Tapping into our past and celebrating our creativity are ways to…

As the Vermont Smart Growth Collaborative matures, it raises a critical question: if 50 states had parallel ventures, wouldn’t smart growth initiatives and protections multiply across America? My guess is yes–whether governors and state bureaucracies start out friendly to smart growth goals or not.

"The news that we have a national champion at the University of Montana raises all of our spirits,” UM President George Dennison said in a press release. "I know that everyone associated with the University of Montana believes Monte deserves this recognition for his superb work over the years. What a difference he has made for Missoula and Montana communities."

This National Governors Association report cites expanding transportation choices, conserving greenspaces, and promoting new community designs as effective smart growth strategies for reducing greenhouse gases. by: National Governors Association ”Communities are grappling with the good…

When a leading expert in community planning took a look at Billings, we didn’t like everything he saw: # A proliferation of strip malls and huge commercial signs. # New subdivisions gobbling up the valley…

Portland, Oregon is a success story among mid-sized American cities. Its downtown grew more vibrant over the last two decades, attracting new residents and businesses at a time when many other cities were drying up….

There are often barriers to building more densely. Community policies and personal preferences can interfere with such common antisprawl techniques as placing homes closer together; using a mix of homes, shops, and workplaces; and building on unused or underused properties in already-developed neighborhoods.

"We want to remove those barriers," says Gary Garczynski, president of the National Association of Home Builders, "but you just can’t ignore people’s preferences for lower-density development."

"There is no business in this city that could not and should not be involved with the arts and cultural tourism."

In this issue, High Country News takes you inside one of the most prominent gated developments closing off pieces of Montana’s countryside. We also look at the impacts several developments have on the land and…

“As we view this,” says Potlatch’s Mr. Olson, “it is a win for us as a private landowner and a win for a conservation organization.”