Bespoke community benefits agreements can offer residents tangible gains in return for the disturbance of development.
Growth & Sustainability
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Montana’s ag tax slashes bills for thousands of million-dollar homes
Properties classified ‘agricultural’ get a tax break despite no bona fide operations. Can lawmakers’ new proposals tighten qualifications?
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Fracking inside the neighborhood
As a planned community near the Rockies rises, so do concerns over a oil and gas operation that would stretch under the homes.
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The California Forever debate moves underground
A billionaire-backed company will continue sowing support, while residents weigh their options.
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Alaska’s capital plans to limit cruise ship tourists
‘Juneau is hitting pause on growth.’
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Lake Mead’s illegal road network is growing
People have created hundreds of miles of unofficial roads trying to reach the water as levels decline. Federal officials want funds to address the issue.
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Caminos ilegales alrededor del Lago Mead plantean nuevo peligro para el medio ambiente
La gente ha creado caminos no oficiales para llegar al agua a medida que los niveles disminuyen. Funcionarios quieren fondos para atender el problema.
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Desert Subdivision: The paradox of naming a development after Edward Abbey
A Moab housing development named for the author of ‘Desert Solitaire’ sparks debate over Abbey’s legacy and growth in a delicate ecosystem.
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How Western ports anchor U.S. supply chains
The Baltimore bridge collapse highlights the nation’s dependence on the shipping industry.
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A hot spot for avalanche deaths in Idaho reveals forecasting gaps
Without reliable information, snowmobilers are riding eastern Idaho’s enticing terrain — and dying.
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Alaska is short on gravel and long on development projects
The state’s North Slope communities need rocks, and they’re hard to come by.
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New research highlights how to handle our wildfire future
‘Building houses in fire-prone places keeps us trapped on the wildfire treadmill.’
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A dizzying look back from Phoenix’s future
A sci-fi scenario from 2008 offers insight into present day news.
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Bringing fast, reliable broadband to rural Alaska could cost $1.8 billion
During a visit to Bethel, Alaska, first lady Jill Biden highlighted hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to improve internet access in Alaska Native communities.
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Western resort towns risk being ‘loved to death’
A new report details the downsides of tourism and population booms – and what communities can do about it.
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As Utah’s ski tourism grows, locals’ needs are neglected
The world’s longest gondola is proposed as a traffic solution in Little Cottonwood Canyon, but residents oppose this project.
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Can net-zero homes really be affordable?
A Colorado nonprofit is constructing its second affordable housing complex with an eye toward mass production.
Posted inMarch 1, 2023: Moving Parts
Trains in the West then, now — and someday?
Mapping the state of the rails across the region.
Posted inMarch 1, 2023: Moving Parts
For Black families, it isn’t simple creating roots in Phoenix
Many have moved to the nation’s fastest growing city seeking community as well as a better life. Few are finding it.
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What happens when an affluent Arizona suburb’s main water supply is cut off?
As the Colorado River crisis worsens, an unregulated housing development faces a reckoning.