ARTICLES (2018-CURRENT)

November 2024
- Nov 16, 2024 Student Research on Planner Perspectives on Public Interest
- Nov 16, 2024 Balancing Growth and Preservation: The Unique Planning Approach of Teton County, WY
- Nov 16, 2024 Illuminating the Path: Western Planners and Light Pollution
July 2024
- Jul 13, 2024 Chronicles of a Transit-riding Planner in Albuquerque: Coverage vs Ridership
June 2024
- Jun 24, 2024 In Memory of Ronald Nelson Short
- Jun 22, 2024 Introducing Arizona State University's Online Master of Urban and Environmental Planning
April 2024

December 2023
- Dec 29, 2023 Homes on the Range: California’s Missing Households
November 2023
- Nov 11, 2023 The Notable Benefits of Planning and Maintaining Trail Systems (and where to be Cautious)
- Nov 11, 2023 Homes on the Range: The Northwest’s Missing Households
June 2023
- Jun 19, 2023 Homes on the Range: The Northern Tier's Missing Households
- Jun 19, 2023 Report from the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute: Many Ways to Build Local Capacity
May 2023
- May 5, 2023 Sherwin Racehorse
April 2023
- Apr 24, 2023 2023 Award Nominations Open
March 2023
- Mar 11, 2023 Check out the 2022 Western Planner Annual Report
- Mar 10, 2023 Downtown Placemaking on a State Highway: Vernal, Utah
- Mar 10, 2023 Wilderness and Wildness – An Environmental Planner’s Perspective
- Mar 10, 2023 ChatGPT and Western Planning: Discussing Planning with an AI
January 2023
- Jan 28, 2023 Homes on the Range: Closing the Southern Tier Household Gap
- Jan 28, 2023 Five Project Benefits of Integrating GIS and CADD
- Jan 28, 2023 Polling for a Pool: Public Involvement Leveraging GIS
- Jan 28, 2023 Need CM Credits?

December 2022
- Dec 14, 2022 Introducing Business Incubators into Native Communities
- Dec 14, 2022 Join Us — Tribal and Indigenous Planning Group Now Active
- Dec 14, 2022 Indigenous Communities are Inclusivity Experts—Municipal Governments Can Be Too
November 2022
- Nov 7, 2022 Planning for Urban Heat Resilience in Communities Across the U.S.
- Nov 7, 2022 Reflection on the Longmont Multifamily Parking Study
- Nov 7, 2022 Green Stormwater Infrastructure in a Semi-arid Climate: The Influence of Rain Gardens on Soil Moisture Over Seven Years
- Nov 7, 2022 The Ethics of Building a Legacy of Planning
- Nov 7, 2022 Planner Profile - Greg Toth, AICP of Henderson, Nevada
- Nov 7, 2022 Your Western Planner Roots May Go Deeper than you Think
October 2022
- Oct 24, 2022 Reflections on Changing Career Paths Midstream
- Oct 24, 2022 2022 Western Planner Conference - Developer Afternoon
- Oct 24, 2022 2022 Western Planner Conference - Session Summaries
- Oct 24, 2022 2022 Western Planner Conference - Recap: From Ag to Zoning and so much in-between
- Oct 24, 2022 2022 Western Planner Conference - Overview
- Oct 24, 2022 Homes on the Range: A Series on Housing Demand, Underproduction, and a Call for Action to Meet Housing Needs in the West to 2030
- Oct 15, 2022 Honoring Indigenous Peoples Day
September 2022
- Sep 10, 2022 Lincoln Institute Is Now Convening the I’m HOME Network
- Sep 10, 2022 As millennials age, quest for a home grows even more desperate
- Sep 10, 2022 Creating Missing Middle Housing Through State and Local Zoning Reform
- Sep 10, 2022 Moving Mountains — Santa Fe's Journey with Affordable Housing
July 2022
- Jul 23, 2022 A Coordinated Approach to Managing Growth and Planning for Capital Improvements
June 2022
- Jun 22, 2022 The Value of Transportation Data for Economic Development
May 2022
- May 28, 2022 Let’s Change the Process to Change Our Zoning: A Response to State and Federal Zoning Controls
- May 28, 2022 Western Planner Releases Our 2021 Annual Report
April 2022
- Apr 21, 2022 Bosque de Bernalillo
March 2022
- Mar 29, 2022 Growth & Change In the West: 2022 RMLUI Conference Recap
- Mar 29, 2022 The Promise of Quality Public Space
February 2022
- Feb 18, 2022 Opening Zoning Barriers to the Missing Middle in Bend, Oregon
- Feb 18, 2022 Getting Back in the Saddle: Lessons from a Horse-Powered Past for Transportation Planning Today
- Feb 18, 2022 Changing the Rules of Zoning
- Feb 18, 2022 Covenants are a Sacred Cow, but they Should be Gone
- Feb 18, 2022 Where Did All The Time Go?
January 2022
- Jan 26, 2022 To Avoid a Taking: Special Assessments Must Create Special Benefits
- Jan 26, 2022 A Rancher’s Insights on Trails Planning Provide Lessons in Public Involvement
- Jan 26, 2022 Going Green: Southern Nevada Provides Efficient Transit
- Jan 26, 2022 Civilian Conservation Corps in Montana: 1933-1942
- Jan 26, 2022 Solar Power Expands Across the West: Potential Development Impacts and How to Respond
- Jan 26, 2022 Ranching with Fire and Rangeland Fire Protection Associations: Livelihoods, resiliency, and adaptive capacity of rural Idaho
- Jan 26, 2022 Mining Cell Phone Data to Create a Multimodal Transportation Plan for Lake Tahoe
- Jan 26, 2022 Teton Creek—The Teton Creek Corridor Project: Protecting a Key Resource in the Gye
- Jan 26, 2022 Land Use and Environmental Planning: History & Context
- Jan 26, 2022 Five Planning Ideas for the Oregon Coast Trail

January 2021
- Jan 22, 2021 Pilot Hill Raises the Vision for Land Conservation in SE Wyoming
- Jan 22, 2021 Aldo Leopold: Albuquerque's First Environmental Planner
- Jan 22, 2021 Featured Planner: Allison Platt - Bend, Oregon
- Jan 22, 2021 Conservation Fund Helps Preserve Utah Lands
February 2021
- Feb 12, 2021 RMLUI Legal Corner: Boyer v. Simi Valley—When a Parking Case is Also a Sign Case
- Feb 12, 2021 Insights from the Planning Commission
- Feb 12, 2021 Featured Planner: Dee Caputo, FAICP
- Feb 12, 2021 Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) Receives Federal Funding
- Feb 12, 2021 Integrating Communities within Natural Space
- Feb 12, 2021 Seth Lloyd Awarded WYOPASS Planner of the Year
March 2021
- Mar 15, 2021 President's Message - Hello, Everyone
- Mar 15, 2021 Opinion: To Love Our Communities We Must First Love Ourselves
- Mar 15, 2021 Green Amendments Gaining Ground: What Western Planners Should Know
- Mar 15, 2021 NEPA after 50: Paperwork to Protection
- Mar 15, 2021 Book Review—At the Precipice: New Mexico's Changing Climate
- Mar 26, 2021 2020 WP Award Winners
April 2021
- Apr 9, 2021 Review of the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute 2021
- Apr 9, 2021 Rethinking Public Outreach for 2021
- Apr 9, 2021 Inclusive and Equitable Engagement: Case Studies, Lessons Learned and Best Practices
- Apr 9, 2021 Integration of Remote Public Participation Methodology into the Planner’s Toolkit
- Apr 9, 2021 Tools to Create Informed and Effective Engagement in the New Normal
- Apr 9, 2021 Public Engagement Is Not a One-Night Stand
- Apr 9, 2021 Tribal & Indigenous Planning Interest Group Update
May 2021
- May 18, 2021 The Crest of Montezuma
- May 18, 2021 Goldendale Observatory State Park Heritage Site: A Dark Sky Saga
- May 18, 2021 Five Planning Ideas for the Oregon Coast Trail
- May 18, 2021 Sad to announce the passing of Edward Wynes
June 2021
- Jun 5, 2021 2020 President's Award Winner - Laura Paskus
- Jun 5, 2021 2020 Sheldon D. Gerber Merit Award for Excellence in Environmental Planning Winner - Waverly Klaw
- Jun 19, 2021 Updating your Zoning Ordinance in the Middle of Chaos
July 2021
- Jul 19, 2021 Oregon APA Steps Up to Help with 2020 Wildfire Response
- Jul 19, 2021 The Mouse River Flood: Ten Years Later
- Jul 19, 2021 2020 Planner of the Year — Joe Dills
August 2021
- Aug 19, 2021 Overcoming Objections to Zoning Reform: A Primer for Planners
- Aug 19, 2021 This is How We (stay on a) Roll
September 2021
- Sep 18, 2021 Impressions from Breaking Boundaries, Creating Connections – Joint APA AZ and WPR Conference
- Sep 18, 2021 2021 Western Planner Awards
- Sep 18, 2021 2021 Western States Planning Conference—Fantastic Sessions, Incredible Event
October 2021
- Oct 29, 2021 Amplifying Indigenous Voices at this Year’s Western Planner Conference
- Oct 29, 2021 Taking the Pulse of Tribal Transportation
November 2021
- Nov 20, 2021 CAFOs Coming to a County Near You
- Nov 20, 2021 The PEL Study Advantage
December 2021
- Dec 22, 2021 Planner’s Toolbox: Due Process in Land Use Hearings
- Dec 22, 2021 Are Our Public Notices Doing Their Job?
- Dec 22, 2021 Tales From a Hearing Examiner
- Dec 22, 2021 "Really, We Don’t Use a Planning Commission?"

December 2020
- Dec 15, 2020 Flexibility, Planning Lead to Pop-Up Business Success
- Dec 15, 2020 Pop-Up Businesses Energize Communities
- Dec 15, 2020 President's Message: What's Doing Now, December
- Dec 15, 2020 Downtown Revitalization in Small Western Communities: Strengthened by Relationships
- Dec 15, 2020 Featured Planner: Genevieve Pearthree - Flagstaff, Arizona
- Dec 4, 2020 University of Colorado Denver - Online Classes
November 2020
- Nov 19, 2020 RMLUI / WP Legal Corner: Martin vs Boise - Homelessness in the Courts
- Nov 19, 2020 Using Stories to Make Your Case
- Nov 19, 2020 Resolving Disputes in the West - Land Use Appeals
- Nov 19, 2020 President's Message: What's Doing, November?
- Nov 19, 2020 Featured Planner: Kerwin Jensen—Richland, Washington
October 2020
- Oct 29, 2020 Indigenous Planning Summer Institute (IPSI) - Sharing and Learning with the Menominee Nation
- Oct 29, 2020 Intertribal Transportation Association
- Oct 28, 2020 Larry Weil Honored at Arbor Day Celebration
- Oct 20, 2020 The Basics of Tribal Employment Rights Ordinances (TERO)
- Oct 20, 2020 A Welcome from the Tribal and Indigenous Division Interest Group
- Oct 20, 2020 WP/RMLUI Legal Corner: McGirt v. Oklahoma—When Promises Have Consequences
- Oct 20, 2020 Recent Tribal Planning News and Other Items
- Oct 20, 2020 Balancing Cultural Traditions with a New (Old) Land Use
- Oct 20, 2020 Tulalip Tribes Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Plan - Strong and Ready for Change
September 2020
- Sep 26, 2020 Sadly Announce the Passing of Dr. Bill Gribb
- Sep 23, 2020 Profit, Poverty, and Pain
- Sep 23, 2020 For Discussion: Can we Create a More Sustainable World in the Aftermath of COVID-19?
- Sep 23, 2020 Five Tips for Navigating Virtual Public Hearings for Boards and Commissions During COVID
- Sep 23, 2020 President's Message: What's Doing? September
- Sep 23, 2020 Hollyhock Commons - Laramie’s Pop-up Public Space
August 2020
- Aug 20, 2020 President's Message: What's Doing? August
- Aug 20, 2020 Update: Tribal & Indigenous Planning Interest Group of APA
- Aug 20, 2020 Flood Factor: Review of a New Online Modeling Tool
- Aug 20, 2020 Mitigation “Plan(t)ing”
July 2020
- Jul 20, 2020 Recreation Planning & Implementation in Southern Teton Valley, Idaho
- Jul 20, 2020 Stepping Into Cuba, New Mexico
- Jul 20, 2020 Recreation and Revitalization in John Day
- Jul 20, 2020 President’s Message: What’s Doing Now?
June 2020
- Jun 17, 2020 Campgrounds in Coconino County, Arizona: Public Needs & Partnerships in Recreation
- Jun 17, 2020 WP/RMLUI Legal Corner: Bears Ears National Monument - Dueling Presidential Proclamations and the Antiquities Act
- Jun 17, 2020 Who knew? COVID-19 and the Kingman Zoning Ordinance Update and Expansion of the Historic Overlay Project
- Jun 17, 2020 President's Message: What's Doing?
- Jun 17, 2020 Public Land Communities and COVID-19: Impacts and Ideas
- Jun 17, 2020 Colorado Water and Land Use Planning Alliance
May 2020
- May 8, 2020 Flood Mitigation in Minot—When the Personal and Professional Overlap
- May 8, 2020 Integrating Water and Land Use Planning in Colorado
- May 8, 2020 Incorporating Water into Comprehensive Planning: A Manual for Land Use Planners in the Colorado River Basin
- May 8, 2020 Featured Planner - David Heinold, Minnehaha County, South Dakota
April 2020
- Apr 14, 2020 The Survey is Mightier than the Sword: Statewide Planning Advocacy in North Dakota
- Apr 14, 2020 View From Above: Plan Your Flight and Fly Your Plan
- Apr 14, 2020 Planning for Airports - Considerations
- Apr 14, 2020 COVID-19: Coming Together While Apart
- Apr 14, 2020 Featured Planner: Dee Caputo—new FAICP member, long-time Western Planner
March 2020
- Mar 23, 2020 WP / RMLUI Legal Corner: Legal Challenges to Short-Term Rental Rules - There’s a Test for That
- Mar 23, 2020 Dan's Recap of the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute
- Mar 23, 2020 Summaries from Selected Sessions of the 2020 Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute
- Mar 23, 2020 Successful Waterfront Zoning in a Semi-Arid Environment
- Mar 23, 2020 Featured Planner: Staci Bungard
February 2020
- Feb 8, 2020 2019 Annual Report
January 2020
- Jan 15, 2020 Land Use and Environmental Planning: History & Context
- Jan 15, 2020 Balancing Development and Environmental Conservation
- Jan 15, 2020 Stormwater Management and Master Planning - Why it Matters
- Jan 15, 2020 WP / RMLUI Legal Corner: Does the EPA Have to Approve Your Sandbox?

November 2019
- Nov 19, 2019 Planner's Toolbox: Seven Steps for Onsite Inspections Done Right
- Nov 19, 2019 2019 WYOPASS Conference Write-up
- Nov 19, 2019 Featured Planner: Larry Weil
October 2019
- Oct 4, 2019 Featured Planner: Stephanie Lowe
- Oct 4, 2019 2019 Western Planner Award Winners
- Oct 4, 2019 2019 Western Planner / APA New Mexico Conference Complete
- Oct 4, 2019 Integrating Water into Comprehensive Plans
August 2019
- Aug 6, 2019 Are Wells Really the Solution? What Do You Do When Groundwater Might Actually Be the Solution?
- Aug 6, 2019 Bling or Bust Assets: Case Studies in Rural Capital Asset Management
- Aug 6, 2019 Featured Planner: Erick Aune, former President, APA New Mexico
July 2019
- Jul 23, 2019 The Pointy End of the Pickaxe: Golden Nuggets for Better Government Communications
- Jul 23, 2019 Can't Afford to Ignore: Facing Affordability Issues, Oregon State Legislators Propose Bold Changes to Land Use and Housing
June 2019
- Jun 21, 2019 In Memoriam: Kenneth "Ken" Waido
- Jun 21, 2019 Tribute to Ken Waido
- Jun 17, 2019 Conflicts Abound: How Future Development Threatens Critical Migratory Bird Habitat Along Utah's Wasatch Front
- Jun 17, 2019 Ms. Millar goes to (Olympia) Washington : Planning Commission Best Practices
May 2019
- May 29, 2019 Finding ‘Missing Middle’ Housing in Olympia, Washington
- May 29, 2019 When is One More Lot Too Much? Rural Residential Development
April 2019
- Apr 25, 2019 New editor of Western Planner
- Apr 25, 2019 Downtown Las Vegas Form-Based Code: A Nevada First
- Apr 10, 2019 Planning for Electric Vehicle Charging Facilities
- Apr 10, 2019 Meet Sid Fox, AICP - a Wyoming planner working on wind energy
March 2019
- Mar 27, 2019 Compassion Center Roundtable: City Planners Discuss Zoning Process for Medical Marijuana Facilities
- Mar 27, 2019 28th Annual Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute Western Places/Western Spaces Designing for the Future: Building Enduring Value
- Mar 6, 2019 Why Government Should Be More Like Baseball
- Mar 5, 2019 APA AK hands out awards at 2019 conference
- Mar 3, 2019 Western Governors’ Association to launch Rural West Initiative; Needs your input
February 2019
- Feb 13, 2019 Light rail expansion in Phoenix, AZ - When citizen's design desires differ from project-funded design
- Feb 13, 2019 Meet Joy Hill - Director of Planning and Zoning in Park County, Wyoming
January 2019
- Jan 23, 2019 From Fairbanks, Alaska to Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains: Meet Angela Parker, AICP, CFM
- Jan 23, 2019 The Modern Wildfire Situation
- Jan 10, 2019 Shared Housing: Cooperatives as a Shared Housing Option
- Jan 10, 2019 Changes and opportunities facing the WP in the 2019
- Jan 10, 2019 Walkable City Rules: Three questions with author Jeff Speck, AICP
- Jan 10, 2019 2019 Western Places/Western Spaces Conference Designing for the Future: Building Enduring Value
December 2018
- Dec 27, 2018 Cass County, North Dakota: Teaming with Townships
- Dec 27, 2018 Alex Wenger, AICP helps bring pirate ship playground to life in Blaine, WA
- Dec 12, 2018 WP Archive of planning articles since 1980 - now available for FREE
- Dec 12, 2018 Julia Crain's passion for her hometown inspires role as urban planner in Butte, Montana
November 2018
- Nov 28, 2018 National report identifies strategies to improve usage of neighborhood parks
- Nov 28, 2018 Playing Music For Communities
- Nov 28, 2018 Meet Meredith Duvall - Planner for City of Gillette, Wyoming
- Nov 7, 2018 A Few Observations on Cycling in Copenhagen
- Nov 7, 2018 EXAMINING ALTERNATIVE FUTURES FOR SOUTHEASTERN UTAH
October 2018
- Oct 24, 2018 TETON CREEK - THE TETON CREEK CORRIDOR PROJECT: PROTECTING A KEY RESOURCE IN THE GYE
- Oct 24, 2018 Lidar – An All-Purpose Tool for Assessing Flood, Landslide, and Fire Hazards
- Oct 10, 2018 Is the Military One of Your Planning Partners?
September 2018
July 2018
- Jul 31, 2018 A Fresh Start: Bringing a Subdivision Ordinance into the 21st Century
- Jul 31, 2018 2014 Boles Fire leads to first rural resilience planning process in the nation
- Jul 11, 2018 RTC debuts new bike map with more than 1,000 miles of bike lanes and routes
- Jul 11, 2018 Prairie Planner Spotlight - Meet Kim Lee, AICP - Planning Manager for the City of Bismarck, ND
June 2018
- Jun 6, 2018 Twin Buttes - Passing a large-scale community development project in a western town
May 2018
- May 28, 2018 OCT. 3-5, 2018: APA COLORADO STATE CONFERENCE IN KEYSTONE, CO
- May 22, 2018 WEST FARGO 2.0: A NEW VISION
- May 22, 2018 Update from the Tribal and Indigenous Planners Interest Group of APA
- May 22, 2018 Rights of Way: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly