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.

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Painted river stone with the words “Be the Change” left beside a Boise trail as a small public message of encouragement.

A Few Words Beside the Path

Spend enough time walking around Boise, and you start to notice the...

Stone foundation in downtown Boise marked “A.D. 1906,” showing a durable remnant of the city’s early built inheritance.

We’ve Forgotten Who We Are

The Living Remnant Every growing city has a few old structures that...

A Canada goose stands alert on a grassy area near mature trees in Boise.

The Goose on the Greenbelt

By late April, goslings begin to take over the Boise Greenbelt. The...

View from the Boise foothills showing a dirt trail in the foreground and the city below in autumn

Why Here

Spend enough time listening to how people talk here and a pattern...

Drone view of a large multi-lane commercial intersection in the Treasure Valley surrounded by parking lots and retail buildings, illustrating suburban sprawl.

Why Sprawl Feels Like Sickness

Take a drive down Fairview Avenue or the long stretches of Eagle...

Early morning industrial building with interior lights on and a person welding inside.

The Backbone Beneath the Noise

The Misleading Picture of the City If you only looked at Boise...

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