Cities, Sagebrush, and Solitude

Urbanization and Cultural Conflict in the Great Basin

Dennis R. Judd, Stephanie L. Witt, Dennis R. Judd, Stephanie L. Witt

• Publisher: University of Nevada Press
• Year: 2015
• ISBN:
  9780874179705
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Sociology
• Index: Social Sciences

Cities, Sagebrush, and Solitude explores the transformation of the largest desert in North America, the Great Basin, into America's last urban frontier. In recent decades Las Vegas, Reno, Salt Lake City, and Boise have become the anchors for sprawling metropolitan regions. This population explosion has been fueled by the maturing of Las Vegas as the nation's entertainment capital, the rise of Reno as a magnet for multitudes of California expatriates, the development of Salt Lake City's urban corridor along the Wasatch Range, and the growth of Boise's celebrated high-tech economy and hip urban culture.The blooming of cities in a fragile desert region poses a host of environmental challenges. The policies required to manage their impact, however, often collide with an entrenched political culture that has long resisted cooperative or governmental effort. The alchemical mixture of three ingredients—cities, aridity, and a libertarian political outlook—makes the Great Basin a compelling place to study. This book addresses a pressing question: Are large cities ultimately sustainable in such a fragile environment?

The Cities on the Rim

Constructing the “Quality of Life” City

“Boise Is Best”

ERIN DAINA McCLELLAN

BOISE HAS BEEN AWARDED many accolades in city rankings over the past decade. Between 2004 and 2012, Boise has appeared on lists that deem it a top healthy city; a top music city; a top turnaround town; a great place for paddling; a top adventure town; a best place to retire; a most physically active city; a most underrated city; a top college football town; a top city for green building; a top bike-friendly city; a best city for raising kids; a best city for business, careers, and economic growth; a most inventive city; a top undiscovered market; a top “super city of the future”; a “Sportstown USA”; and a best city to live, work, and play. In addition, it has been said to have some of the nation’s best urban parks, workplaces for commuters, and carbon footprint. The sources of these rankings range from Time, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, CNN Money, and MSN to Sports Illustrated, National Geographic Adventure, Parenting, and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.¹ Each of the rankings may be read as a “text” reflecting a discourse² that shapes the ways people come to know Boise. Whether people have never seen Boise or whether they have lived in Boise their whole lives, these texts guide everyone to see the city as having some attributes that are deemed more important than others. Quality-of-life discourses, in particular, have become ways of reflecting what desirable cities should entail; such discourses presented Boise in glowing terms.

A closer examination of what Boise “is” according to these top-ten lists reveals a lot not only about the city, but also about how “best” is constructed. Demographic and economic statistics show Boise to be successful, in part, because increased growth is most frequently interpreted as an unalloyed virtue for all cities and urban areas. Other statistics meant to measure various aspects of quality of life (for example, percentage of population over the age of fifty as an indicator of “best place to retire”) and specific economic performance (for example, job growth) attempt to reflect success in other terms. Some of these “best” rankings rely upon sets of previously collected data such as the US Census Bureau, while others use complicated indexes that give an impression of scientific sophistication and objectivity. Despite the range of methodologies used to rank “best cities,” Boise consistently does well when compared to other cities and metropolitan areas. However, there is more to measuring quality of life than just results.

In this chapter I first examine the discourse constructing Boise as “best” as it is revealed through best-city rankings that feature Boise, Idaho, and appear in four leading publications. In relation to one another, these sources provide a remarkably consistent portrait of Boise as a city offering an exceptional quality of life, though not for the same reasons. I then provide a rhetorical analysis of these texts as a way to explain how particular values and motivations are embedded in these rankings. My reading of these four texts reveals how these “best” city rankings simultaneously shape their readers’ conceptions of what is best about Boise, in particular, while simultaneously contributing to larger discourses about what makes cities have a high quality of life more generally. Finally, I discuss the need to move beyond the recognizable discourse of quality of life in Boise in order to question the ways in which such a discourse influences our understandings of cities like Boise in significant ways. As illustrated across the texts included in this discourse about how Boise is “best,” the subjective and value-laden measures of evaluating a city have tangible consequences—both positive and negative. The cities included (and excluded) in such rankings and the diverse people they account for will inevitably interpret the significance of these constructions of a “successful” city differently. It is worthy of our time to critically assess how this happens if we are to productively address the diverse needs of any urban population.

“Boise’s Best” . . . Retirement and Child-Rearing, Working and Playing?

For many years Boise’s mayor has been fond of citing acclamatory comments from city rankings sources in his annual State of the City address. Between 2004 and 2012 the summary from these State of the City addresses has boasted that Boise is (among other things), the best city to retire; the best city for raising a family; the best city to live, work, and play; and the best place for business. A close examination of four specific texts that represent each of these four types of rankings that were included in the mayor’s annual State of the City address summaries can provide insight into how Boise is portrayed differently in each as a “successful” city.

Text 1: The Best City to Retire

In 2011 CNN Money ranked Boise number three of twenty-five “best” cities to retire, under the caption “Each of these towns offers amenities galore for the post-work crowd—plus a cost of living that’s pretty darn sweet.” Boise’s “City Stats” are compared to the “Best Places Average” and include several statistical indicators: median annual family income, job growth percentage (2000–2010), percentage of test scores above and below state average in reading and math, personal and property crime incidents, restaurants within fifteen miles, high and low temperatures in July, median age, and a variety of other financial, housing, school, and quality-of-life indicators, such as the percentage of population over the age of fifty, median home price, top state income tax (with a notation that Social Security income is exempt in Idaho), and a cost of living index.

This collection of statistical information appears alongside an aerial shot looking northward down tree-lined Capitol Boulevard, with the capitol building as the dominating and central feature. The accompanying text addresses a topic that seems entirely detached from the numbers: “If you’re the type who can’t survive without your symphony, art, and theater fix, you may have resigned yourself to staying in some pricey coastal burg during retirement. . . . Boise is no Manhattan. But its thriving cultural scene includes an opera company, a philharmonic orchestra, and a ballet. . . . Catch shows at Boise State University’s Morrison Center for the Performing Arts. . . . Or hit the annual Shakespeare Festival at the city’s 770-seat outdoor amphitheater.” The last two sentences of this mini-essay change the subject yet again with a reference to the city’s natural setting—“Residents also enjoy all the outdoor activities you might expect of a city that’s flanked by mountains and bisected by a river full of fish”—and with an anecdotal reflection: “Another plus: Violent crime in Boise is a little more than half the national average.”

Text 2: The Best City for Raising a Family

In 2012, Forbes listed the Boise metropolitan area as the second “best city for raising a family.” The authors compared the one hundred largest metropolitan areas by “median income, overall cost of living, commuting delays, crime statistics, school quality, and housing affordability,” while also referring to “low crime and high school quality” and the “chance to mix urban and outdoor lifestyles” as additional positive attributes. A statistical profile of Boise “at a glance” displays a map along with a dizzying array of metropolitan statistics on major industries (namely, technology, tourism, mining, farming), metro product growth, median annual household income, median home price, unemployment percentage, job growth percentage (2010), cost of living percentage above and below the national average, percentage of population with “college attainment,” and net migration (2010). Finally, the reader is given the opportunity to see Boise’s ranking on other Forbes lists published in the magazine. These reveal that Boise is ranked number eighteen among best places for business and careers, number eight in the cost of doing business, number seventy-one in job growth, and number ninety-eight in education. The plethora of data makes for daunting reading, but a sharp eye might immediately notice that the tangential reference to Boise’s education ranking does not seem to align with the in-text reference to Boise’s “high school quality.”

The eclectic mix of indicators used by Forbes indicates that an extraordinary number of things determine whether a city is friendly for families. As one would expect, economic growth and development are important: “The high-tech industry has become increasingly important to Boise over the years, though the economy remains diversified with its government and business sectors continuing to be strong influences.” A list of “key companies,” statistics on employment, and a roster of college and university campuses seem to support this point. But a host of other factors are also brought into the equation; for example, there are statistics on housing, education, and a quality-of-life index. However, the authors also provide a list of museums, take note of Boise’s annual jazz festival, and comment on the “vibrant section known as the ‘Basque Block’ [which is] representative of the second largest ethnic Basque community in the U.S.” No clarity is offered about what “raising a family” entails, and no recognition of the varied ways that people might choose among countless criteria that make a city a good place to raise one is provided.

Text 3: The Best City to Live, Work, and Play

In 2008 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance published a list of the top-ten “best cities to live, work, and play.” Boise landed a number-four spot. The article framed its criteria for selection by explaining the authors’ approach as follows: “[We] look for places with strong economies and abundant jobs, then demand reasonable living costs and plenty of fun things to do.” The article discloses that their “numbers guru” applied a “formula [that] highlights cities not just for strong past performance, but also with all the ingredients for future success.” The key ingredients of the formula were identified as “a healthy shot of people in the creative class . . . scientists, engineers, architects, educators, writers, artists and entertainers, as they are catalysts of vitality and livability in a city.”

According to Kiplinger’s, several statistical measures were used to determine its ranking; among others, these included metropolitan area population, population growth percentage since 2000, percentage of workforce in the creative class, cost of living index in relation to the national average, median annual household income, and percentage of income growth since 2000. However, these “just the facts” statistics appear next to a stylized Boise Convention and Visitors Bureau photograph of the downtown skyline under white puffy clouds and an azure sky and silhouetted against the shadowed foothills in the background. The article’s author admits to “an almost irresistible temptation to desert your desk. Glance northward from the city’s orderly downtown business and shopping district, and the majestic slopes of the Boise foothills beckon.”

One of the qualities that receives a clear focus in this discussion of “best” cities is the ability to “balance” everyday life, work, and play: “When they’re not casting a line or taking in a show, a growing number of Boisians work for local high-tech businesses, the fruits of which make up the state’s biggest exports. Micron Technology and Hewlett-Packard are the Boise Valley’s two largest employers.” The city’s economic prospects are boosted by a “high proportion of college graduates . . . 37% compared with the national average of 27%,” “plenty of affordable housing,” and an “average work commute” of eighteen minutes. A retired high-tech executive is quoted as providing this advice: “When you first arrive, you have to downshift and adjust to a more relaxed pace.” Intentionally or unintentionally, the message conveyed in this vignette appears to mix three particular elements of an idealized lifestyle: urban life portrayed in ways that may be seen to reflect suburban ideals, a place where work is both profitable and flexible, and a place worthy of eventual retirement.

Text 4: Best City for Business

In 2004 Forbes.com produced a special report that revealed Boise to be the seventh “best place for business” in the nation, explaining, “The best metro areas to launch a business or career often revolve around universities that offer a diverse, educated work force and, especially when they are far from big cities, relatively low costs.” A link to more information about the methodology used to determine the rankings is provided, and a separate set of links provides alternative ways to sort “best” cities in a variety of ways (by rank, name, cost of doing business, and population). The article explains that the ranking partially relies on an index of “business cost” developed by an economic and financial firm located in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The indicators in the index include a measure of the quality of the workforce (the “concentration of college graduates and PhDs in an area”) plus job and income growth and migration data. In addition, an index created by a Portland, Oregon, consultant is utilized to measure “culture and leisure” across cities.

The statistical profile of Boise includes the usual indicators: population of the city and metropolitan area, percentage of job growth (with no indication of source or date), income growth (also with no reference for source or date), and a list of the major employers (Micron Technology, Mountain Home Air Force Base, St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center, Albertsons, and Hewlett-Packard). A two-sentence description of Boise’s limitations is provided as a testament to its draw in spite of them: “While not exactly a transportation hub, Boise continues to attract people from all over the nation thanks to low costs and job growth that has risen more than three times the national average during the past five years.” A link provides access to a more detailed profile and key statistics (advanced degrees, cost of doing business, cost of living, crime rates, culture and leisure, educational attainment, income growth, job growth, and net migration). A photo featuring the downtown skyline is sandwiched between a row of green trees in the foreground and the notable foothills in the background.

A Rhetorical “Read” of Boise: A Best City for Everything?

A rhetorical read of the four texts that rank Boise as a “best” city—CNN Money’s “best place to retire,” Forbes’s “best city for raising a family,” Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s “best city to live, work, and play,” and Forbes.com’s “best place for business”—reveals a larger discourse that presents an idealized version of Boise. Although this discourse is often interpreted as an objective and complete representation of Boise as a successful city, these texts also construct a particular vision of what an “ideal” Boise entails.

Throughout American urban history local boosters have promoted growth as evidence that a given city is prosperous, desirable, and destined for great things. All four of the texts analyzed here treat a “successful” city ...