The Boise City Council voted unanimously to adopt the modern zoning code last week, with some minor modifications. This is a big, important step in moving this region away from sprawl and toward a future where more people have good, convenient options to move around their part of the city.
It means residents of the valley will have better chance of finding housing closer to jobs and activities they want to access. That access could be on foot or bike, bus or shared ride, electric scooter or private car trip. As we start seeing the results of this code, more people will have more choices to move around, which means freedom to move and freedom to choose how and when to travel.
It will bring change. In my experience living in a neighborhood that was built before the current 60-year- old zoning code, change will be incremental and at human scale. Adding that small apartment or a couple four-plexes to your nearby neighborhood won’t be a disaster that some have predicted. It may instead mean that the housecleaner or landscaping tech who works for you and your neighbors can live nearby, or that your child’s teacher or your recent college graduate can find a home of their own.
I am most excited by the opportunity the modern zoning code promises to develop transit corridors that work. Building more density along the corridors we serve – and offering a guide for how to build the transit infrastructure needed to serve it well – will improve VRT’s ability to offer good, attractive, and easy-to-use bus services. I look forward to collaborating with the city on the details that will make this work.
Elaine Clegg, CEO
