CITIES ON THE RISE

Managing Growth In The Treasure Valley

WORDS BY HEATHER HAMILTON-POST

PHOTO BY CHAD CASE

As a student at Kuna High School, we moved the school greenhouse from its old location to the new high school on foot, at least in part. For 1.5 miles, students balanced the structure on a flatbed trailer, walking alongside for support. Step by step, the polycarbonate house waltzed its way to a new home at a school that would be at capacity the year it opened. It was all a bit of a balancing act.

This was before Lowe Family Farmstead, Enrique's, Meta, and even Albertsons, a time when the city of Kuna was home to just one highschool and a single (and newly opened) drive through. It felt like a small town then, but it feels especially small when I see what it, and the greater Treasure Valley, has become. Of course, you don’t have to take my word for it.

The Boise Metropolitan Statistical Area is one of the fastest growing metro areas in the United States. Centrally positioned for industry and talent, the population of Ada and Canyon counties is now over 800,000—an increase of approximately 100,000 since 2020. Compass, the data firm responsible for the research, uses Census counts, construction permits, household sizes, vacancy rates, and annexations to arrive at these numbers, estimating population growth and how exactly residents are distributed across cities and counties.

This is significant growth, certainly–but is it too fast?

“As our city and the Treasure Valley have witnessed significant growth over the past several years, we have been working hard to plan for and accommodate growth in intentional, sustainable ways. These efforts have included a major revamp of our zoning code to increase our housing supply in areas where neighborhood services already exist, investing in a brand new first-of-its-kind water renewal facility, and launching a Supportive Housing Investment Fund with a $7.5M commitment from the city,” explains Sean Keithly, Economic Development Director, City of Boise, Office of the Mayor.

In Caldwell, a historically smaller city on the Treasure Valley’s western edge, there is evidence of growth everywhere. A revitalized downtown with over 35 new businesses, including Indian Creek Plaza which sees over a million annual visitors, significant infrastructure projects, and large investments in industrial and commercial developments speak to a much larger trend across the valley.

“Our goal is to ensure inclusive economic growth that benefits all Caldwell residents. We are focusing on expanding affordable housing options, developing community spaces, and ensuring varying modes of public transportation are accessible,” says Steven Jenkins, Economic Development Director, City of Caldwell.

Jenkins emphasizes the need to adjust to evolving needs and to think long-term with an eye for the future, especially in terms of job creation, local services, and amenities, a sentiment that permeates the thinking of city planners across the valley. Jenkins refers to the city’s new plan as ‘a blueprint for balanced growth that maintains a high quality of life for residents’, which seems to reflect a greater effort statewide.

“Long-term sustainability is at the heart of our growth strategy. We're focusing on responsible infrastructure development, ensuring that our roads, utilities, and public services can keep up with the growing population,” Jenkins says, noting that the city is also prioritizing the development of greenbelts, pathways, and open spaces to promote environmental sustainability and enhance community connectivity.

Keithly suggests that these sorts of efforts are essential, especially in the face of rapid development. “These actions will help ensure that our healthy economic growth is complemented with quality-of-investments that will benefit our residents for generations to come,” he says.

The greenhouse itself is a structure made to encourage growth, but without a steady hand, the balancing act fails. As the region continues to expand, city planners and leaders strive to find the delicate equilibrium between development and sustainability, aiming to preserve the sense of community amidst growth that shows no signs of stopping. To move a greenhouse perched precariously atop a trailer— and to grow a valley—requires caution, patience, and the sort of determination born of the small towns that made us.