Essays

Essays on the deeper patterns shaping cities, culture, and civic life. Written for those who know there’s more at stake than policy and planning alone.

All Essays

A multi-story apartment building along a busy Boise arterial, shown from above with traffic passing beside it.

The Vertical Anchor: Density Without Compression

Walk into the middle floor of a modern apartment complex. The finishes...

A historic Boise building with dark rooflines stands in the foreground, while a tall, unfinished modern high-rise and red construction crane rise behind it, illustrating the contrast between old craftsmanship and new development.

Our Buildings Are Our Confessions: A Call to Rebuild the Sacred in Boise

How we build reflects what we value. If we don’t like the...

A wide-angle shot of a large crowd of people, families, and cyclists filling Ustick Road in Boise during the Open Streets event.

The Day We Heard Ustick’s Heartbeat

A street is not just a street. It is a story we...

This City Has a Feeling

A city is fundamentally a feeling—the rhythm in your body when you...