Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Monday, June 8, 2026

Media Contacts:

Emi Smith, Media Relations, 720-822-9529

Cate Stanek, Media Relations, 303-775-0984

bouldercolorado.gov

‘Experiments in Public Art: A Boulder Future’ exhibition opens June 8

Exhibition highlights creative projects and community voices shaping the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan update

BOULDER, Colo. – Experiments in Public Art: A Boulder Future showcases how a series of artist-led public art projects has contributed to the major update of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan, offering new ways to engage the community in imagining its future. The exhibition will be on view in the Canyon Gallery at the Main Library from June 8 through July 26, 2026, with an opening reception on June 17 from 5 to 7 p.m.

The Experiments in Public Art Program invites artists to test creative ideas in public spaces through temporary, socially engaged projects that spark conversation, build connection, and activate neighborhoods. The Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan guides long-term decisions about growth, sustainability and services in Boulder and the surrounding area and undergoes a major update every 10 years. As part of the comprehensive plan update, artists were embedded in the process to explore innovative approaches to engagement, helping broaden participation and elevate community voices. Much of the artwork is featured in the plan document itself.

Projects featured in the exhibition include:

• Motus Theater: Playback Theater – Motus Theater hosted multiple “Playback Theater” events, where community members shared personal reflections and hopes for Boulder’s future, which were then brought to life through live performance.
• Boulder’s Big Adventure – Illustrator Cal Brackin translated complex planning concepts into accessible visuals through a children’s book designed to engage younger audiences. His illustrations are also being used throughout the plan.
• Building Connections – Artists Becky Wareing Steele and Shannon Geis developed a project inspired by observations and conversations from the Community Assembly.
• Voicing Boulder – Artist Chris Carruth led a participatory project using the PhotoVoice method, inviting community members to document their current realities and imagine possible futures.
• Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan Mural – Mural artist Android Jones is creating a large-scale work, titled ‘Future Flourishing,’ that captures the community’s shared vision for the next two decades.

“The projects featured in Experiments in Public Art: A Boulder Future demonstrate the powerful role art can play in community engagement,” said Lauren Click, Office of Arts and Culture Manager. “By complementing traditional outreach with creative approaches, we were able to connect with community members in new and meaningful ways. We invite the public to experience these projects firsthand at the Canyon Gallery this summer.”

By blending policy, data, emotion, imagination, and lived experience, the exhibition highlights a more human-centered approach to planning. This marks the first time creative practices have been formally integrated into a Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan update, expanding how the community envisions the next 20 years.

Learn more about Experiments in Public Art and its role in the comprehensive plan update on the city’s website, or visit ABoulderFuture.org for additional information.

Experiments in Public Art is a program of the Office of Arts and Culture, in the Office of Cultural and Economic Development. The exhibition and project series were managed by More Sky, Less Ceiling. The Comprehensive Plan is expected to be adopted in summer 2026.

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The post ‘Experiments in Public Art: A Boulder Future’ Exhibition Opens June 8 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Monday, Feb. 23, 2026

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Cate Stanek, City of Boulder Media Relations, 303-775-0984

Richard Hackett, Boulder County Media Relations, 720-564-2605

bouldercolorado.gov

City of Boulder and Boulder County release draft Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan

Community members invited to provide feedback

BOULDER, CO – The City of Boulder and Boulder County will release the draft Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, after nearly a year and a half of community engagement, partnerships and coordination.

Community members are invited to join the city and county at an open house on March 10 to mark this milestone and learn about how community input shaped the updated policies and Future Land Use Map. The draft plan will be available online for review and feedback from March 3 through April 6. Feedback received will inform the final recommended plan, which is scheduled to be adopted later this year.

Community Open House

When | March 10 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Where | Dairy Arts Center | 2590 Walnut St.

Review the Draft Plan, March 3 to April 6

ABoulderFuture.org

The Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan guides long-term decisions about growth, sustainability, and services in Boulder and the surrounding area. First adopted in 1977, the plan is updated every 10 years to reflect evolving community values, priorities, and challenges. Since the start of this major update in October 2024, the city and county have offered over 65 community engagement opportunities, including open houses, online questionnaires, office hours, workshops, interactive playback theater performances, and the city’s first-ever Community Assembly.

The update process was designed to bring in voices that have not historically participated in shaping the plan, alongside community members who have been involved in the past.

“We want to thank everyone in the community – community members, partners, Community Assembly members, city and county staff, and so many more – who took the time to participate in this update, whether it was to share your input online, or work together for months as we brought in innovative ways to engage,” said Boulder City Manager, Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde. “This reimagined plan is shaped through collaboration by a diverse range of voices and reflects the values that the Boulder Valley was built on, while responding to where we are now and looking toward the future.”

“The ten-year update to the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan, coming on the 50th anniversary of the plan, is an opportunity to take stock of where we are as a community and how we want our community to evolve,” said Boulder County Commissioner Claire Levy “ Many, many people took advantage of the diverse opportunities to share their thoughts whether through MOTUS theater, the Community Assembly, workshops or on-line comments. Together, we are shaping an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable future for the Boulder Valley.”

Courtesy of City of Boulder and Community Cycles.

The draft plan honors the current plan’s core values while weaving in community input to reflect where we are today and where we want to go. The update is community-driven and has been reimagined to be more understandable, remove redundant or outdated policies, and provide clear direction.

It provides a policy and land use framework for how the city grows, a core value to continue preserving open space in and around Boulder, and a commitment to a safe multi-modal environment with a variety of options for moving around town safely. New policies focus on the main themes heard throughout the engagement process, including safety, housing choice and availability, an inclusive economy, climate action and resilience, a stronger food system, and creating a more multicultural, multigenerational community.

The draft plan also updates the Future Land Use Map based on community input to promote mixed-use, transit-supported areas, balance growth with environmental protection, and expand housing options while ensuring flexibility and adaptability. Community members shared a strong desire to increase our connection to each other and create community spaces that offer multiple services, shops, and housing types that can be accessed without a car.

Experiments in Public Art

The Community Open House will feature an exhibition of Experiments in Public Art, created in collaboration with local artists and community members as they participated and engaged in the plan update. Come view, listen to, and interact with art in many forms that use creative expression to simplify complex planning topics, elevate diverse community voices, and engage historically excluded groups in shaping Boulder’s future. The Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan art series includes Voicing Boulder, Personal Geographies, Motus Playback Theater, Boulder’s Big Adventure, and an upcoming Community Mural.

Next steps

The city and county will accept community feedback on the draft through April 6. Office hours will also be offered in March to meet with staff, ask questions, and discuss the draft plan. The draft will then be revised based on community feedback gathered during this review period. A recommended plan and summary of community comments will be provided to the Boulder City Council, Boulder Planning Board, Boulder County Board of Commissioners, and Boulder County Planning Commission as part of the adoption process starting in June.

More information is available at ABoulderFuture.org.

–CITY–

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The post City of Boulder To Host Community Open House for Comprehensive Plan Draft Feedback appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Survey was sent to 5,000 random households in the Boulder Valley along with an online questionnaire open to all community members

Boulder County, Colo. – Boulder County and the City of Boulder are sharing the results of a statistically-valid survey, sent to 5,000 randomly selected households in the Boulder Valley as part of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan update process. An online companion questionnaire was also available to all community members to help ensure a wide range of voices are included in the update process.

The survey and questionnaire focused on key goal areas, including housing, climate change and an inclusive local economy, to explore the community’s preferences around potential approaches to respond to challenges and opportunities related to each topic. The results will be used to inform the updated Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan policy and land use recommendations.

The plan guides long-term decisions about growth, sustainability and services in Boulder and the surrounding area. It was first adopted in 1977 and undergoes a major update every 10 years. The updates give our community a chance to adjust the plan to reflect current values and needs, address challenges and plan proactively for the future.

What We Heard

The city and county collected 688 responses to the mailed statistically-valid survey, and 950 responses to the open online questionnaire. Community members who responded to the survey and online questionnaire emphasized several shared concerns. Rising costs, especially housing and overall cost of living, stood out as pressing issues. Many also pointed to the importance of protecting the natural environment, preparing for hazards and ensuring access to essential resources like water and energy. Safety, particularly for people walking and biking, and the health of local businesses were also commonly mentioned.

Housing Choice & Opportunity

When asked about future housing choices, slightly more than three-fourths of respondents supported increasing affordable options (78%), allowing more diverse housing types in more areas (78%) and making better use of underutilized sites within the city before expanding outward (77%).

Climate Action

Environmental stewardship emerged as a top priority. Protecting and enhancing the natural environment was rated as essential or very important by about eight in ten respondents (83%), making it the top-rated priority among all issues considered.

Inclusive Economy

Respondents also expressed strong interest in an inclusive local economy. Most respondents (89%) supported allowing small businesses like corner cafés, daycares, salons, healthcare offices or small shops in residential areas, either sprinkled across the city (55%) or in targeted locations, like near transit (34%). When asked how to address commercial vacancies in the Boulder Valley, more than half of respondents (56%) supported converting office spaces into residential uses.

Multicultural Multigenerational Community

Input related to youth and older adults highlighted shared values around independence, safety and connection. Safety in public spaces and the availability of places for youth to gather and socialize were the top priorities so support younger community members. For older adults, the ability to travel independently and safely, and increasing housing options affordable to those on fixed incomes were highlighted as priorities.

The full report from the survey and questionnaire can be found at ABoulderFuture.org.

In the next stage of the plan update, city and county staff will draft the new Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan, and will present the draft for community, Boulder City Council, City of Boulder Planning Board, Boulder County Board of County Commissioners and Boulder County’s Planning Commission feedback and review in March 2026. The process to adopt the draft plan is scheduled for summer 2026.

Learn more about the plan and update at ABoulderFuture.org.

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Media Contacts: Rick Hackett

rhackett@bouldercounty.gov

720-564-2605

Cate Stanek, City of Boulder

stanekc@bouldercolorado.gov
303-775-0984

Boulder County wants to ensure that everyone has equal access to our programs, activities, and services. To request an Americans with Disability Act (ADA) accommodation, please email ada@bouldercounty.gov, or call 303-441-1386. If you need help in another language, please email cppfrontdesk@bouldercounty.gov or call 303-441-3930.

The post Results of Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan Statistically-valid Survey appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

NEWS

Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024
MEDIA CONTACTS:

Cate Stanek, City of Boulder Media Relations, 303-775-0984

Gloria Handyside, Boulder County Media Relations, 303-441-1622

bouldercolorado.gov

City of Boulder and Boulder County invite community members to help envision the future of the Boulder Valley at a Comprehensive Plan update kick-off event
Community invited to help shape the future of the Boulder Valley

BOULDER, Colo. – The City of Boulder and Boulder County are kicking off an update of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan (BVCP). Everyone is welcome to a family-friendly Open House on Oct. 19 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Dairy Arts Center to learn about the update and help create A BOULDER Future.

The BVCP was first adopted in 1977 and is intended to guide long range planning and policies to meet the Boulder Valley community’s vision and goals for the next 20 years. The plan undergoes a major update every 10 years. The BVCP has shaped the Boulder Valley for the past five decades, and we invite everyone in the community to help us shape the next 20 years.

Help us celebrate 50 years since the adoption of the plan, and join us to jump start this update process, taking place throughout 2025 and early 2026.

When and where? 

• Oct. 19 | 1 to 4 p.m.
• The Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St, Boulder, CO 80302

What can you expect? 

• To learn about the plan and the update process.
• To hear why it’s so important for your voices to be heard in this process.
• Opportunities to share your opinion on the Boulder Valley today.
• A keynote speech from State Demographer Elizabeth Garner, who will give an overview of Colorado and Boulder’s population and economy, and what they might look like in the future.
• A performance by MOTUS Theater – experience playback improv and see your story on stage!
• Spanish translation and interpretation will be available.
• Fun activities for kids and adults alike!

“Rarely can community members share their biggest dreams on any topic for the future of Boulder and the Boulder Valley.  This kick-off is the earliest chance to come together with the city, county and our community members to really look at where we are today, and where we want to be in the future,” said Brad Mueller, City of Boulder Planning and Development Services Director. “We invite anyone and everyone to join in this fun, informative process.”

“We invite everyone who lives in Boulder and neighboring areas to join us as we plan for the future of our community,” said Dale Case, Director, Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting. “The Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan is a great example of 50 years of partnership, and we look forward to coming together with the city and the community to plan for future success.”

The update process will have many opportunities for community members to get involved and share their thoughts and feedback over the next two years, with plan adoption anticipated in summer of 2026.

Visit ABoulderFuture.org to learn more about the update and all the ways to get involved.

The post City of Boulder and Boulder County invite community members to help envision the future of the Boulder Valley at a Comprehensive Plan update kick-off event, Oct 9th, 2024 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.