Open House Presentations



For those of you who were not able to join us for the Open House on 11.20.15, here is a recap of the students work thus far:


Opens Space & Connectivity:


Health Community District:


Orchard Street Corridor:


Residential District & The International Market:


Industrial Activity District & Its Tank Farms:

The student are spending the rest of the semester polishing and refining their proposals. Stay tuned for more!!



Open House 11.20.15 - Join Us!




Landscape Architecture students at Utah State Univerity are very excited to come back to Boise to present their design ideas for a Future Vision for the Boise Bench. There will be a formal presentation from the students including five teams using 3D models to explore a vision for Industry, Health Community District & St. Alphonsus Hospital, the Retail district along Orchard Street, the Residential neighborhoods & the International Market and Parks & Open Spaces.




WHEN: Friday, November 20th from 3-7PM 
·      Student Presentation: 3-4:30PM
 ·      Open house from 4:30-7PM
 WHERE: Boise City Hall, Council Chambers, 3rd floor





Bench District Analysis

Sketch by Nicolette Maire

Each of our 5 teams were assigned an analysis of the area. Through the use of plan views, sketches, diagrams, & photos each team evaluated multiple criteria including:

  • Site Impressions
  • Context
  • Existing Land Use
  • Socio-cultural Dimensions
  • Functional Dimensions & Movement
  • Morphological Dimensions
  • Urban Landscape Structure & Open Space
  • Street & Building Interfaces
  • Temporal/Historical Dimensions
  • Visual Connections
  • Perceptual Dimensions

All in order to help identify the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, as well as to help hone in on each teams proposed program elements...


Community Meeting Recap 9.12.15

On Saturday morning we met with community members and key stakeholders in the Borah High School cafeteria. Deanna Smith, from Idaho Smart Growth, facilitated a community mapping exercise in order to help us understand the key community assets and liabilities in the neighborhood.

LAEP, USU, Boise Bench, Idaho Smart Growth
Deanna Smith watches as USU students and local stakeholders map community assets

We broke into 5 tables and used color coded stickers to identify key areas in the community:

  • Green stickers were used to identify features that are highly valued and add to a unique sense of place, such as community parks and popular shops. 
  • Yellow stickers were used to identify areas of potential, such as adding lighting and signage to bike paths to increase safety. 
  • Red stickers were used to identify community liabilities or concerns, such as safety hazards or unfriendly areas people avoid.

Identifying these key features will help us as students focus on what makes the Bench area unique, understand what is working and needs to be preserved, identify areas for improvement and understand the unique challenges that keep the bench area from becoming a vibrant destination for the Boise metro area.

We have digitized a synthesis of all 5 group's findings and have them displayed on the interactive map below: (click on a sticker for more detail)



If you were unable to attend the meeting but would like to contribute to our map, please use the comment box at the bottom of the page to add your two cents. Your feedback and participation is greatly appreciated!!

Tragedy Strikes the Boise International Market



We were devastated to hear that our friends at the Boise International Market suffered a fire on Saturday evening. The 20 businesses housed inside the market building were completely destroyed. Over 640 community members have shown their love and support by donating to a GoFundMe account and have so far raised $40,200 of their $50,000 goal in just 2 days. We hope that this will allow the businesses to get back on their feet quickly.

Boise's Central Bench - Urban Planning & Design Project


Senior students in the Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning (LAEP) program integrate urban design and planning challenges in the fall semester design studio at Utah State University. Current student work will focus on the Emerald/Franklin and Orchard/Curtis quadrant area within the Central Bench. Last Fall 2014 the students produced concepts for development in the quadrant based on the vision for Boise's Central Bench. Students worked with the City's Department of Planning and Developmental Services (PDS) and with residents and small businesses.

This Fall 2015 students will dig deeper into the challenges encountered by residents, business leaders and potential developers in this district. We identified five key land use activities and focuses that will help create a structure for future growth and redevelopment of the Central Bench area. Each team will  be familiarized with key documents from the City: COMPASS, specific sections of the Blueprint Boise (Comprehensive Plan), and the Boise Central Bench Neighborhood Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan. The five student teams will develop programs, concepts and illustrative plans for each of their focus areas, but will also coordinate with one another to develop their programs and designs to fit the needs of a changing and growing population.

The 5 Focus Areas are:



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