Our semester has finally come to a close. Here are the site-scale designs from each of the 5 teams, click the team name to be taken to their final presentation boards:

• Open Space & Connectivity

• Health Community District

• Orchard St. - Retail, Commercial & Mixed Use

• Industrial Activity District with Tank Farms 

• Residential District & the Boise International Market

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:

• Analysis

• Concept

• Proposal
• Presentation

Health Community District:

• Analysis

• Concept

• Proposal
• Presentation

Orchard Street Corridor:

• Analysis

• Concept

• Proposal
• Presentation

Residential District & The International Market:

• Analysis

• Concept

• Proposal
• Presentation

Industrial Activity District & Its Tank Farms:

• Analysis

• Concept

• Proposal
• Presentation

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

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.

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

• 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.

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!!

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.

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: