tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54350322638027396582024-03-08T08:20:15.863-07:00Urban Economics at Boise StateSamia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-63570457561586491182012-01-12T11:21:00.000-07:002012-01-12T11:21:16.381-07:00New Downtown Boise apartments fill fast, fill need | Boise, Garden City, Mountain Home | Idaho Statesman<a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/2012/01/12/1949526/new-downtown-boise-apartments.html?storylink=addthis#.Tw8khKmMG6Y.blogger">New Downtown Boise apartments fill fast, fill need | Boise, Garden City, Mountain Home | Idaho Statesman</a>Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-88600236670734246492012-01-09T13:59:00.000-07:002012-01-09T13:59:24.092-07:00Developers eye housing near Boise State | Boise, Garden City, Mountain Home | Idaho Statesman<a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/2012/01/09/1945177/developers-eye-housing-near-boise.html?storylink=addthis#.TwtVDnAnHG0.blogger">Developers eye housing near Boise State | Boise, Garden City, Mountain Home | Idaho Statesman</a>Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-25337138704594100632011-11-08T10:35:00.000-07:002011-11-08T10:35:11.177-07:00Boise writes new city blueprint | Boise, Garden City, Mountain Home | Idaho Statesman<a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/11/08/1869777/boise-writes-new-city-blueprint.html?storylink=addthis#.TrloOdUptj0.blogger">Boise writes new city blueprint | Boise, Garden City, Mountain Home | Idaho Statesman</a>Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-43003965636086526272011-07-20T13:21:00.000-06:002011-07-20T13:21:19.755-06:00Bike Sharing in ParisParis’s bike-sharing system, the <a href="http://www.velib.paris.fr/">Vélib’</a>, lets users rent any bike from their ubiquitous stations in increments of 30 minutes each, and you can return the bike at any of their locations for 1 euro. 8 euro for a week and 19 euro for a year. Only catch is that Vélib’ bikes require a credit-card deposit, and the on-location machines accept only cards with embedded chips. American cards all use magnetic strips, about as archaic in Europe as feet and inches.Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-48178795537572489882011-05-06T01:18:00.001-06:002011-05-06T01:18:40.070-06:00What's Next in Public Transit? Urban Gondolas!<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2011/05/02/calgary-gondola-lrt-service.html?ref=rss&sms_ss=blogger&at_xt=4dc3a0aa454ab77a%2C0">Gondola service pondered for N.W. Calgary - Calgary - CBC News</a>Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-47781004253245824712011-05-06T01:18:00.000-06:002011-05-06T01:18:17.463-06:00What<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2011/05/02/calgary-gondola-lrt-service.html?ref=rss&sms_ss=blogger&at_xt=4dc3a0aa454ab77a%2C0">Gondola service pondered for N.W. Calgary - Calgary - CBC News</a>Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-8942293900122777092011-04-25T21:42:00.001-06:002011-04-25T23:44:57.051-06:00How History Killed the Suburb - The AtlanticFrom the Atlantic:<br />
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<blockquote>For today's entry I am happy to return to Washington Post commentator Roger Lewis, whose April 23 column analyzed market forces now favoring walkable neighborhoods over the automobile-dependent, sprawling subdivisions that characterized most U.S. land development in the late 20th century. In particular, Lewis—sounding very much like the esteemed professor of architecture that he is—says that now-declining "suburban planning and zoning templates were predicated on four key assumptions":<br />
- America had an unlimited supply of land;<br />
- Automobiles and road building, thanks to inexpensive and presumably inexhaustible supplies of petroleum, would forever satisfy metropolitan transportation needs;<br />
- Grouping homogeneous land uses, not intermixing them, would best protect property values, especially for residences; and<br />
- The only way to realize the American dream was to own and inhabit a mortgaged house.<br />
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Today, all four of those assumptions have collapsed or are in the process of collapsing. We now know that much of our land, especially in and around metro areas, should not be developed, because of risk (flooding, wildfire, landslides); limited resources (water); or ecological value. There is considerable variation in these factors from one place to another, but the supply of land in regions experiencing growth can no longer be seen as "unlimited." Gasoline prices are back up to four bucks a gallon and, as global supply declines and demand for oil grows in developing countries, are surely going to continue to grow over the long term.<br />
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Read full story <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/life/archive/2011/04/how-history-killed-the-suburb/237815/">here</a>.Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-32679384834792916742011-04-13T12:19:00.000-06:002011-04-13T12:19:11.988-06:00Forty Strongest U.S. Metro Economies: 2009The Brookings Institution ranked the 100 largest metros by averaging the ranks for four key indicators: <br />
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- employment change <br />
- unemployment change <br />
- gross metropolitan product and <br />
- home price change<br />
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Employment was measured by the change from the peak quarter for each metro to the second quarter of 2009. The peak was the quarter in which the metro had the most jobs during the past five years. Unemployment was ranked by measuring the percentage-point change from the first quarter of 2009 to the second quarter of 2009. Gross metropolitan product was measured from the peak quarter to the second quarter of 2009. And the ranking of home prices compared the second quarter of 2009 to the previous quarter. The employment data were provided by Moody's Economy.com, the unemployment data were collected from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the home price index came from the Federal Housing Finance Agency.<br />
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Using data and analysis from the Brookings Institution's new MetroMonitor study, BusinessWeek.com ranked the nation's top 40 economies based on job growth, employment, economic growth, and home prices. And Texas seems to be the clear winner with San Antonio at the top of the list and five metros in the top 10. <br />
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Here's the top 10:<br />
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1. San Antonio, TX<br />
2. Austin- Round Rock, TX<br />
3. Oklahoma City, OK<br />
4. Little Rock - North Little Rock - Conway, AR<br />
5. Dallas - Fort Worth - Arlington, TX<br />
6. Baton Rouge, LA<br />
7. Tulsa, OK<br />
8. Omaha - COuncil Bluffs, NE-IA<br />
9. Houston- Sugarland - Bayton, TX<br />
10. El Paso, TX<br />
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Except Ogden MSA, UT, none of the Western metros made it on the top 40. To see which metros made the list, <a href="http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/10/1022_40_strongest_us_metro_economies/1.htm">read on</a>.Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-34101272179406599602011-04-12T15:19:00.000-06:002011-04-14T15:20:41.336-06:00Ed Glaeser on John Stewart - talking about...what else but cities? <br />
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Watch interview <a href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-february-14-2011/edward-glaeser">here</a>. The interview was broadcast/recorded in February I believe.Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-2043684689653065862011-04-10T12:32:00.002-06:002011-04-13T12:46:10.893-06:00Ed Glaeser on the Future of American Cities, with an Emphasis on Housing PolicyIn a roundtable interview with MacArthur President Jonathan Fanton, Harvard University's Edward <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBilFrpPEbs&feature=related">Glaeser discusses the future of American cities</a>, including housing in Dec 2008. (length: 22:21 min)<br />
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Housing discussion in the clip starts at 4:58.Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-20975475024025570592011-04-08T15:15:00.000-06:002011-04-14T15:19:00.866-06:00Curitiba's Success in Congestion ManagementHere's a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJR9uCSyGKM">short video clip</a> from the DVDe watched in class on Tuesday, April 12, 2011. Curitiba, Brazil is a city of more than 2 million people. Over the years, it has been a trail blazer in designing and implementing sustainable urban development strategies. This video clip highlights Curitiba's achievements in congestion management using integrated Bus service.Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-24934584146916536742011-04-06T12:26:00.000-06:002011-04-14T15:15:35.313-06:00Glaeser's new book "Triumph of the City"Professor Glaeser is one of the world's foremost economists. A wide-ranging thinker, he is particularly noted for his leading work on economic geography, urbanism, and the life and growth of cities. With politicians of all parties searching for new ways to think about growth and job creation, his thinking about how to reform planning and regulation is particularly relevant today. <br />
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His new book 'The Triumph of the City' synthesises a lifetime of thinking about the root causes of growth, and how and why cities work. With over half the world's population now living in urban areas, the question of how to make our cities work well has never been more relevant.<br />
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Here's a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJJV7RDR06s">link to a presentation he made on his new book</a> for Policy Exchange UK. (length 1:26 min)Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-10620975627734666352011-04-04T15:39:00.001-06:002011-04-04T15:42:17.277-06:00New zoning fad creates old-style business districtsBy Dan Bobkoff<br />Marketplace, American Public Media, Monday, April 4, 2011<br /><br /><blockquote>City planners increasingly wonder if traditional zoning laws lead to sprawl. So more cities are turning to "form-based" code, which focuses on a building's look, rather than its specific commercial/residential use.<br /><br />BOB MOON: This land is your land, this land is my land. But the government can decide how it gets used. More and more communities are looking to the future, and getting a little nostalgic about the way things use to be. They have visions of nice shops and busy sidewalks, maybe apartments on the upper floors, and homes a short walk away. There's just one problem: zoning laws.<br /><br />Dan Bobkoff, of the public media project Changing Gears, tells us why.<br /><br />DAN BOBKOFF: Before big-box stores and strip malls and a car in every driveway, it was normal to live in dense neighborhoods.<br /><br />ANTHONY FLINT: A place where they can walk to a corner store, maybe live above a store. And those kinds of things, that's illegal in America today in so many of our communities.<br /><br />Illegal because of zoning. Anthony Flint is with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. He says cities have spent much of the last century separating the shops and factories and homes. And that made sense in the beginning.<br /><br />FLINT: You didn't want to have a slaughter house next to a residential apartment.<br /><br />But the effect was an almost complete segregation of uses.</blockquote><br /><br />...Read full interview <a href="http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/04/04/pm-new-zoning-fad-creates-oldstyle-business-districts/">here</a>.Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-63605690640605734222011-03-21T12:11:00.000-06:002011-03-21T12:11:42.448-06:00Urban renewal bills clear Idaho Senate committee | Idaho Legislature | Idaho StatesmanFrom the Idaho Statesman, Mar 16, 2011:<br /><br /><blockquote>Two bills aimed at urban renewal reform cleared the Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee on Wednesday. HB 95 would require a citywide election to form a new urban renewal agency. It also would limit bonds and districts to no more than 20 years; require an annual public hearing on the district's finances and projects; and prohibit district expansion once boundaries are set. HB 110 would require a public hearing before an urban renewal plan is implemented. Both bills were sent to amending order for possible amendment to clarify language.<br />The House unanimously passed both bills March 1.</blockquote><br /><br /><br />Accessed at <a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/03/16/1568529/urban-renewal-bills-clear-idaho.html#ixzz1HG72vgb9">Idaho Statesman</a>Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-21162250806322380062011-03-16T12:14:00.003-06:002011-03-21T12:20:03.426-06:00Why Urban Renewal is Unpopular in IdahoFrom the Idaho Statesman, Mar 13, 2011:<br /><br /><blockquote>Supporters say it’s a valuable economic development tool. Critics say it siphons off property taxes with little accountability.<br />...<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Lawmakers and other critics cite these complaints:</span><br />- Cities create urban renewal agencies without a vote of the public. The boards of the agencies get to spend property tax dollars and have power to condemn property, but are appointed, not elected.<br />- Once created, agencies can start up urban renewal districts and go into debt without a public vote.<br />- Urban renewal districts keep the property tax money generated by new development, leaving others to pick up the costs of fire, police and other services that new development demands.<br />While some lawmakers are champing at the bit to curtail the agencies, others urge caution. Sweeping change could make it difficult for cities and urban renewal agencies to do their jobs — attracting businesses, creating employment and boosting the economy.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">REASONS LEGISLATORS WANT CHANGES</span><br />- Debt: According to the Idaho Constitution, a city or other local government that wants to build a new building or other capital project must pay cash or get two-thirds voter approval to incur debt.<br />Urban renewal agencies do not need voter approval to issue bonds — take on debt — to finance a project. Those agencies should be “treated like every other taxing district,” said Rep. Phil Hart, R-Hayden. “They’ve got to get voter approval before they go into debt.”<br />- Over-broad powers: All it takes to create an urban renewal agency or a district is a city council vote. Under state law, urban renewal areas are intended to address blight. But in the past, farm, forest and even desert land has been deemed blighted. The city of Nampa took a chunk of agricultural land to build the Idaho Center; Coeur d’Alene created an urban renewal district next to a resort.<br />- Board accountability. Last year, the 40 urban renewal agencies in Idaho took in about $52 million in property taxes. The boards for school, highway and irrigation districts that control how property tax money is spent are elected. But mayors appoint urban renewal agency board members, who also have the power of eminent domain.<br />- Unfair distribution of taxes. New buildings in an urban renewal district place new burdens on fire, police and roads. But the tax revenues from those new buildings go back to the agencies to finance urban redevelopment, not government services.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">WHAT PROPONENTS SAY</span><br />Urban renewal supporters say that all these criticisms miss the mark. Cities, counties and the state ultimately benefit from the new development — and urban renewal spending — through increased sales and income taxes.<br />“Urban renewal has been one of the cornerstones of economic development in this state and a proven jobs generator. Look at Twin Falls last year, where an urban renewal project created 700-plus jobs in the depths of the recession,” said Mark Rivers, who developed the BoDo project in Downtown Boise and is working with the Twin Falls urban renewal agency.<br />Proponents also note that the property tax diversion is temporary. Urban renewal districts use that “incremental” property tax for the 24-year life of the district (although legislators want to change that to 20 years). When the district expires, the gains in value are added to the tax rolls.<br />“Many of Boise’s best projects were made possible through urban renewal, including The Grove Plaza, the Wells Fargo and One Capital Center buildings, BoDo, the 8th Street market, the Basque Block, the Convention Center, and a long list of others,” said CCDC’s Kushlan.<br />Proponents note that mayors and city councils are the elected officials who oversee urban renewal agencies — and do answer to voters. Agency board members often are selected for their business, legal or financial expertise.<br /> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">WHAT’S LIKELY TO HAPPEN?</span><br />Because it’s hard to change agencies retroactively — many are in the middle of decades-long bonding projects — urban renewal critics are likely to return in future legislative sessions for more tinkering. No law changed this session will end the debate.<br />Rivers, who testified last month at a House committee hearing, said he came away believing “legislators themselves don't even understand the policy.”<br />Critics’ misinformation, he said, hurts cities that are trying to increase jobs, investment and economic activity.</blockquote><br /><br />Access full story <a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/03/13/1564179/why-is-urban-renewal-unpopular.html">here</a>.Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-68101115407878817182011-03-15T12:21:00.000-06:002011-04-13T12:25:12.286-06:00Urban Housing Crisis: The Case of PeruIn Peru it is estimated that up to 80 per cent of the country's population could be living in urban areas by 2030.<br />
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With half of Peru's economic activity based in the capital, Lima, it will put enormous pressure on the city's already floundering services.<br />
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Many of the country's poor come to Lima in search of work. As the city cannot accomodate the numbers, many migrants end up building their own homes in run-down areas on the outskirts of the city.<br />
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Most of them lack basic services like running water and sewage systems.<br />
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Here's a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_Dg1lZ9E8s">video clip</a> on the urban housing crisis in Peru but the country is not an isolated. A large of part of the rapidly growing developing is experiencing a similar crisis.Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-81052359076637061492011-03-13T12:12:00.000-06:002011-03-21T12:14:42.127-06:00How urban renewal districts work:<blockquote>Example: THE C.W. MOORE PLAZA, 250 S. 5TH ST.<br /><br />In 2010, the Capital City Development Corp. collected $9.1 million in property taxes on about $528 million worth of new, or “incremental,” property value in Boise’s urban renewal districts. Here’s a look at one property.<br />1994: The River/Myrtle urban renewal district is formed. The assessor establishes a “base” value for each property in the district. The vacant 1.25-acre lot is assessed at $217,800.<br />1999: The C.W. Moore Plaza is completed.<br />2010: Moore Plaza land and building are valued at $13.5 million.<br />2024: District will sunset and all governments will again share the tax revenue on the property’s full value.<br />C.W. Moore Plaza 2010 property taxes: $231,698<br />Seven taxing districts receive property taxes on the 1994-set value of $217,800:<br />- $1,520.40: City of Boise<br />- $1,214.88: Boise School District<br />- $666.56: Ada County<br />- $258.78: Ada County Highway District<br />- $35.21: College of Western Idaho<br />- $33.56: Emergency medical services<br />- $7.49: Mosquito abatement<br />CCDC receives the tax on the difference between the 1994 and 2010 values, which is $13,286,500:<br />- $227,962.53: Urban renewal district<br />TREASURE VALLEY URBAN RENEWAL<br />Boise, Eagle, Garden City, Meridian, Nampa and Caldwell all have urban renewal agencies.<br />The oldest and biggest is Boise’s Capital City Development Corp., which has three urban renewal districts totaling 518 acres, with a fourth under consideration:<br />- The 34-acre central district Downtown is set to expire in 2017.<br />- The River-Myrtle/Old Boise district is 340 acres; it expires in 2024.<br />- Westside is 144 acres; it expires in 2025.<br />- In July, the Boise City Council directed CCDC to prepare a study and plan for a new district, the 573-acre 30th Street area. The detailed urban renewal plan would have to be approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission and the council.<br />CCDC also owns and operates eight parking garages.<br />CCDC receives about $9.1 million in property taxes annually. By comparison, property taxes generate $105.8 million for the city, $81.7 million for Ada County and $31.7 million for the Ada County Highway District.</blockquote><br />Accessed <a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/03/13/1564179/why-is-urban-renewal-unpopular.html#ixzz1HG7uwBhg">here.</a>Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-38278163965499114912011-01-23T21:54:00.001-07:002011-01-23T21:56:08.310-07:00Boise to retool 30th Street neighborhoodFrom Idaho Statesman, Jan 23, 2011<br /><br /><blockquote>Rarely does a city get a chance to create almost from scratch a new central district within the core of a highly urbanized area.<br />Boise is getting that chance — and it won’t be just new housing, retail and commercial development. This new district will include the city’s first whitewater park, a new road with Boise’s first major roundabout and two more new parks.<br />The city hopes this unique combination of amenities will fuel economic development and serve as a catalyst to revitalize the 30th Street neighborhoods.<br />The city’s goal is to “allow the area to achieve its full potential, particularly in the commercial areas,” spokesman Adam Park said.<br />The district extends from the Boise River north to Irene, between Veterans Park and 23rd Street. Its central location — abutting Garden City, North Boise and Downtown, with the Bench nearby — make it a regional attraction, not just a neighborhood.<br />The city’s plan calls for commercial development on the northern and southern edges — the State Street and Main/Fairview corridors — transitioning into high-density residential areas in the core with parks, the river and the Greenbelt along the western edge.<br />The area has several large vacant properties. The city owns 9-acre and 3-acre undeveloped parcels along Fairview Avenue. The 10-acre former Bob Rice Ford dealership at Main Street and the river recently went on the market.<br />Three undeveloped parks, the Boise River and the Greenbelt provide existing and future recreational infrastructure.<br />Linking it all together will be a new five-lane road connecting State Street and Fairview, which provides another north/south transportation corridor and access to the new city parks.<br />Making this dream come true will take public and private investment. The city is providing parks. Ada County Highway District is putting in the new road.<br />A team of stakeholders has been assembled to determine how best to fund or encourage other development.<br />Unlike Bown Crossing or Harris Ranch, conceived by and largely financed by private developers, this neighborhood plan being shepherded by the city still needs a mechanism to get private developers involved.</blockquote><br /><br />Check the <a href="http://media.idahostatesman.com/smedia/2011/01/22/23/0123_Local_30thstreet.source.prod_affiliate.36.pdf">map</a>. <br /><br />Read more: <br /><a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/01/23/1498901/boise-to-retool-30th-street-neighborhood.html?storylink=addthis">Boise to retool 30th Street neighborhood | </a>Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-80005065954781318642011-01-10T16:24:00.000-07:002011-01-25T16:24:41.047-07:00Falling home values and rising property taxesFrom the Idaho Statesman, Jan 9, 2011: <br /><br /><br /><blockquote>After another year of falling home values, some Treasure Valley homeowners are again voicing their anger over higher property tax bills. Others, meanwhile, are actually paying less — but at the expense of dramatic decreases in the assessed values of their homes.<br />“I personally took about 200 calls from people,” said Canyon County Deputy Assessor Joe Cox after residents began receiving notices for the first half payment on their 2010 tax bill, due Dec. 20.<br />What made the difference? Budget decisions and the not-always-equitable real estate market.<br />Unlike income and sales taxes, which are collected at set rates, property tax levy rates are determined after budgets are set.<br />Cities, counties and other local entities decide how much they will spend, and then the burden is spread among all the property owners in their areas — based on assessments that are the county’s best guess as to how much the properties were worth on the previous Jan. 1.<br />So your final tax bill depends on:<br />1) Whether homes in your neighborhood lost more or less value than others.<br />2) How many taxing districts you live in and how much their budgets grew or shrank.<br />And after values have dropped as much as they have, No. 1 is having a bigger impact than No. 2.<br />Take the Ada County Highway District’s 2010 property tax budget request of $31.6 million. That’s identical to its 2009 request, but lower housing values required that the district’s levy rate rise by a whopping 16 percent in order to generate the same amount of revenue.<br />LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION<br />The median decrease in Ada County housing values for 2010 was 14 percent — but that varied by community, to as high as 18 percent in Eagle. (The median value means half of all homes saw decreases greater than the median decline in their district, and half saw lower decreases.)<br />A home whose values fell by less than the median decrease was likely to see property tax increases. Homes with higher percentage decreases in their assessments would have a chance of getting a lower tax bill, Ada County Assessor Bob McQuade said.<br />Plus, there are 38 taxing districts in Ada County, including cities, counties, and school, fire, highway, library, sewer, emergency medical and mosquito abatement districts. In 2010, 25 of those districts increased their budgets.<br />Of course, those districts have widely different budgets. “Twenty percent of the districts collect about 80 percent of the property taxes,” McQuade said.<br />The larger the district, the more impact it has on overall property taxes.<br />For example, the city of Boise increased its budget by more than $4 million in 2010, pushing its levy rate up by 19 percent, according to the assessor’s office.<br />The result: A home that paid $586.83 on $100,000 in taxable value a year ago received a $13.51 city tax increase — even after its value dropped by the city’s median decrease of 14 percent to $86,000.<br />City spokesman Adam Park said the council took the full 3 percent property tax increase allowed by law in order to maintain its existing level of services.<br />“The 2010 Citizen Survey shows almost 70 percent of residents say they are getting their money’s worth in terms of value of city services for taxes paid,” Park said.<br />Under Idaho law, taxing districts can increase their property tax budgets by 3 percent each year, along with an additional amount for growth and new construction.<br />However, a provision in the law allows districts that took less than their 3 percent increase in past years to go back and recapture that money in subsequent years.<br />That’s what Nampa did in 2010.<br />The city took its 3 percent property tax increase, plus another 2 percent it left on the table a year ago. So the city’s budget increased by $2.9 million and its levy rate rose by 23 percent — more than making up for Canyon County’s median 15 percent decline in housing valuations.<br />Let’s go back to that hypothetical home, but put it in Nampa. Valued at $100,000 in 2009, it had a city property tax bill of $828.28. The 15 percent median decrease dropped the home’s taxable value to $85,000 — and still the homeowner owes $863.26 to the city for 2010.<br />And that’s before taxes owed to other entities such as Canyon County, the Canyon County Highway District, the Nampa School District, the Nampa Highway District and the College of Western Idaho.<br />Cox attributed the jump in overall property taxes to the city’s decision to increase its budget by $2.9 million.<br />“What the city did was legal; I just don’t know that it was prudent, because it’s putting a heavy burden on taxpayers,” Cox said. “With a lot of people struggling to stay in their homes, it was a bad time to raise taxes.”<br />Nampa Mayor Tom Dale defended the city’s decision, arguing that it was either increase property taxes or cut police and fire protection.<br />“These are services that people have come to expect, and which have to be met,” Dale said. “We’ve delayed capital projects, street maintenance and not filled open positions. There was no place left to cut.”</blockquote><br /><br /><br />Read <a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/01/09/1481689/why-did-your-taxes-go-up-or-down.html?storylink=addthis">full article</a>.<br /><br />Comparison of selected <a href="http://media.idahostatesman.com/smedia/2011/01/09/00/tabchart.source.prod_affiliate.36.pdf">property taxes and school districts</a>.Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-89733466510214778442010-08-11T14:17:00.000-06:002010-08-11T14:17:14.023-06:00Median home prices up in 2Q in most US cities, but not in BoiseThe median sales price for previously occupied homes rose from year-ago levels in 100 out of 155 metropolitan areas. <br /><br />From the August 11, 2010 Idaho Statesman:<br /><br /><blockquote>Home prices rose in nearly two-thirds of U.S. cities this spring as buyers took advantage of tax incentives that gave the struggling housing market a temporary jolt.<br />The median sales price for previously occupied homes rose compared with last year in 100 out of 155 metropolitan areas tracked in the April-to-June quarter, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday. That compares with 91 out of 152 cities in the January-to-March quarter. Fourteen cities had double-digit price increases.<br />But the boost to the housing market in the second quarter faded shortly after tax credits expired at the end of April. Home sales fell in June and are expected to plunge further in July. Prices are expected to follow in the second half of the year.<br />The lowest mortgage rates in decades haven't been enough to energize buyers. Home loan applications were virtually flat last week, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Wednesday.<br />The national median price in the second quarter was $176,900, up from $174,200 in the same quarter last year and up from $166,400 in the January-to-March period.<br />The median price is the midpoint, which means half of the homes sold for more and half for less. It typically falls in the winter and rises in the summer months. That's because families with children traditional move during the summer and buy larger homes.<br />Home sellers, meanwhile, are being forced to cut their asking prices as demand remains weak. Among sellers who listed homes for sale at the start of this month, 25 percent had dropped their prices at least once, according to real estate website Trulia.com, which collects data from around the country.<br />That percentage had fallen as low as 19 percent in March, when tax credit-fueled sales were booming. The biggest problem, said Pete Flint, CEO of Trulia, is the lack of jobs.<br />"Until the employment market stabilizes, we don't see stabilization in the housing market," he said.<br />In the Realtors report, the largest price gain was in Akron, Ohio. Prices there were up 36 percent from a year ago. The San Francisco and San Jose areas, which have mounted a strong rebound from the housing bust, also saw prices rebound by about 25 percent. Prices in the Riverside, Calif. metro area were up 18 percent from a year ago.<br />The biggest price drops were in Cumberland, Md., Tucson, Ariz., Ocala, Fla. and Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas. Prices in all of those cities were down at least 13 percent from last year.<br />If the broader economy sinks back into a recession, things will get a lot worse. Celia Chen, senior director of Moody's Analytics, projects that home prices could drop another 20 percent by early 2012 if there is another recession. If the economic recovery remains on track, she sees prices falling another 5 percent and hitting bottom early next year.</blockquote> <br /><br />Here's a look which cities had the biggest yearly home price gains, and which ones had the largest declines:<br /><br />BIGGEST INCREASES<br /><br />1) Akron, Ohio, $119,700, up 36 percent<br />2) San Jose, Calif. $630,000, up 26 percent<br />3) San Francisco, Calif. $591,000, up 25 percent<br />4) Riverside, Calif. $190,200, up 18 percent<br />5) Elmira, N.Y., $99,200, up 17 percent<br />6) Lansing, Mich., $99,100, up 13 percent<br />7) San Diego, Calif., $392,600, up 13 percent<br />8) Palm Bay, Fla., $117,300, up 13 percent<br />9) Erie, Pa., $110,200, up 13 percent<br />10 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Fla., $94,1000, up 12 percent<br /><br />BIGGEST DROPS<br /><br />1) Cumberland, Md., $104,500, down 15 percent.<br />2) Tucson, Ariz., $150,200, down 14 percent<br />3) Ocala, Fla., $95,900, down 13 percent<br />4) Beaumont, Texas., $120,700, down 13 percent<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">5) Boise City, Idaho., $140,100, down 13 percent</span><br />6) Hagerstown, Md., $149,800, down 9.2 percent<br />7) Jacksonville, Fla., $139,000, down 9 percent<br />8) Daytona Beach, Fla., $117,000, down 8 percent<br />9) Salem, Ore., $176,800, down 7.5 percent<br />10) Biloxi, Miss., $128,500, down 7.4 percent<br /><br /><br />Read more: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/08/11/1299491/a-look-at-home-prices-in-us-cities.html#ixzz0wKXaDUd3Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-8126902247427430232010-08-11T14:09:00.000-06:002010-08-11T14:09:44.951-06:00Chip shortage could benefit Micron Technology | Micron Technology | Idaho StatesmanAs back to school time sees an increase in demand for electronics such as laptops, flash drives, chip maker Micron could have something to celebrate. But that might not mean anything for Boise. <br /><br />Read more <a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/08/11/1298763/chip-shortage-could-benefit-micron.html">here</a>.Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-58440300801839020702010-06-03T13:15:00.000-06:002010-06-03T13:15:30.994-06:00Idaho has a big labor pool, but a small talent pool |What I've been saying all along... <br /><br /><blockquote>Idaho's unemployment is at a record level, yet Clearwater Analytics and other local high-tech companies are having a difficult time finding people for key positions. The area's labor pool may be big, but it lacks depth - experienced or specialized high-tech workers. And that could hinder the state's ability to compete nationally and globally in the high-tech industries.<br />"Without a doubt the prevailing opinion on the coastal states is you probably cannot grow a tech company very big in the state of Idaho because the talent pool isn't there," said Bob Lokken at a business innovation conference last week. Lokken founded ProClarity, which was acquired by Microsoft; he recently launched WhiteCloud Analytics.</blockquote><br /><br /><br />Read full article <a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/06/03/1215399/big-labor-pool-small-talent-pool.html#ixzz0poqRzqlB">here</a>.Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-75297671539878127702010-06-02T12:37:00.000-06:002010-06-02T12:37:44.581-06:00Idaho in the top 5 in 2009 for number of new startups | Idaho Economy | Idaho Statesman<blockquote>Hundreds of business start-ups in 2009 put Idaho in the top five states on the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity. The index calculated that about 450 out of 100,000 adults in Idaho started businesses each month in 2009.<br />Idaho also is making high marks on other lists recently. The state jumped to No. 7 from No. 14 on the American Legislative Exchange Council's Best Economic Outlook list. Boise came in at No. 16 on Forbes' America's Most Innovative Cities, which rates patents, funding, jobs and technology. The Economist praised Boise and Idaho's open space as "the final frontier in the Internet age."</blockquote><br /><br />Read full article <a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/06/02/1214074/idaho-in-the-top-5-in-2009for.html#ixzz0piqI2Kv3">here</a>.Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-90115899622098389112010-05-12T12:49:00.001-06:002010-05-12T12:50:05.104-06:00Boise school leaders protest change to school day | Local News | Idaho StatesmanFrom today's ID Statesman: A real-world look into the complexities of urban public policy, with density issues, service levels and impact areas at the center of the argument. Just like we discuss in class! <br /><br /><blockquote>While the majority of Boise School District trustees voted to start and end the school day later at nine elementary schools this fall, two trustees lodged protest votes against the state mandate that forced the decision.<br />"Nobody squawks more about federal mandates and federal control than the Idaho Legislature, but they do the same thing to the School District," said trustee Rory Jones, who voted against changing the school day to 9:15 a.m.-3:45 p.m. The current hours are 8:45 a.m.-3:25 p.m.<br />If the district did not make the change, the state would have withheld the $385,000 it says the district will save in busing.<br />"The sad part for me is the burden falls on a limited number of families who don't deserve this," Jones said.<br />About 20 percent of the kids in the district, or about 2,295 students and their families, will be affected, he said.<br />In an audit mandated by the state, the district's bus contractor, First Student, said these nine schools were close enough to the ending locations of other bus routes that merging the routes could save miles.<br />The state pays for the majority of school districts' transportation costs, but so far, the Boise School District has been the only one in the state affected by legislation that triggers an audit when the cost to transport students exceeds a cap set by the state.<br />"The Legislature wanted to look at districts with high population density to see if they were operating their transportation efficiency," said state Department of Education spokeswoman Melissa McGrath. "When you're saving money on transportation, $400,000 is money that can go in to other education programs."<br /><br />But the formula the state used to calculate the cap is flawed, said Boise School Board President A.J. Balukoff.<br />The state used the cost per mile and the cost per rider to calculate efficiency, but 85 percent of transportation costs are fixed, he said.<br />Many kids in the Boise School District walk to school, and many don't qualify for busing because they live within 1.5 miles of their school, he said.<br />That makes the cost per rider high because there are fewer riders, he said.<br />Inner city transportation also has its own hitches. A bus that starts and stops every three blocks is going to have low miles, compared to a bus that goes out to Orchard Ranch and back, which is a 50-mile trip, and will appear to cost less to operate, he said.<br />"What does that tell you about your efficiency? Nothing," Balukoff said.</blockquote><br /><br />Read <a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/05/12/1189201/boise-school-leaders-protest-change.html#ixzz0nk5S5Yad">full article</a> here.Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5435032263802739658.post-16440832241869977772010-05-12T12:36:00.000-06:002010-05-12T12:36:28.229-06:00Good news for Idaho's Future?The future sure sounds promising, according to an ID Statesman article published today: <br /><br /><blockquote>Idaho's green energy push is very different than that of other states and countries. It has offered few tax incentives and has never established so-called renewable energy portfolio standards - which require utilities to use so much green power- to promote the industry.<br /><br />So what's Idaho got to sell?<br /><br />Earlier this month, Chinese-owned Hoku Scientific began producing polysilicon for use in solar panels at its new $390 millionplant in Pocatello. Economic development officials there say they have three other energy companies looking to build in eastern Idaho that could bring more than $100 million in investment. Officials could know by June whether one has committed to Idaho, and by the end of the year for the rest.<br />"Hoku just fired up the plant and they're off to the races," Little said.<br />Micron Technology recently forged a partnership with Australian power giant Origin Energy to develop solar power technologies that is expected to lead to commercialization within 18 months. The U.S. Department of Energy, through the Idaho Office of Energy Resources, awarded Micron a $5 million grant to help it enter into the light emitting diode (LED) high-efficiency lighting market that is expected to take off by 2012.</blockquote><br /><br /><br />Read <a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/05/12/1189200/idaho-presents-itself-as-the-green.html#ixzz0nk2kOo00">more</a> here.Samia Islam, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10020546516754892624noreply@blogger.com0