Students in Boise State’s urban studies, environmental studies and biology programs were recently honored with the American Planning Association Idaho’s Student Project Award. This award honors unpaid academic work by students in undergraduate or graduate planning-related programs. The award aims to inspire excellence among students and emerging planners.
The students – Mariia Antonova, Josh Graham, Rory Lepore, Nathan Musgrove and Carter Strope – collaborated with Valley Regional Transit for their spring 2024 capstone project to design a transit-oriented development at Fairview Avenue and Orchard Street in Boise. This interdisciplinary team used research, site visits and expert input to develop a plan that activates an intersection with a bus stop as a central hub.
Partners included the City of Boise, Ada County Highway District and COMPASS Idaho. Their project focused on improving transportation spaces, fostering multimodal trips and enhancing the community experience. The final design, which includes mixed-use development and green building, was presented at the Boise State Undergraduate Research Symposium in spring 2024.