Boise, Idaho’s capital and largest city, has embarked on an ambitious plan to manage recent historic growth and steer its future development. The population of the Gem State metropolis swelled to 236,634 in 2023 from 205,671 in 2010, according to U.S. Census data, and the city and surrounding area has routinely been at or near the top of fastest growing lists in the U.S.
In 2019, amid concerns about losing the quality of life that residents enjoy and that draws transplants, Boise began rewriting its planning and zoning codes, which took effect on Jan. 1. Currently about $340 million in new projects are underway, mostly in Boise’s historic downtown.