Growth

Op-ed: Utah should grow into its gaps

Written by: Peter Reichard

When we think of growth, we often picture developers buying an old farm or ranch and building a subdivision. We picture a growing civilizational footprint, turning what was once green into something gray. But Utah can look within the existing footprint for opportunities to grow. That means identifying sites within developed areas that are vacant or underutilized. Development of these sites is known as “infill.” Multiple factors are now converging in Utah to make infill … Continued

Utah Thrives Podcast | Finding Space for New Development

Written by: Peter Reichard

In this edition of Utah Thrives, Utah Foundation Vice President Shawn Teigen and President Peter Reichard sit down to discuss the new report, Filling in the Blanks: How Utah Communities Can Deploy Infill Development to Advance Quality of Life.  

Utah Thrives Podcast | Is Utah Losing Focus on its Children?

Written by: Peter Reichard

In this edition of Utah Thrives, Senior Analyst Christopher Collard and President Peter Reichard discuss the May 2022 Utah Foundation report, The Flowering of Youth: The Next Generation in Utah. The report is the sixth installment in the Utah Social Capital Series. The report revealed some surprising trends nationally, but also in a state that takes pride in its focus on youth. 

Significant Statistics | Growth Part IV: Should Utah Limit Population Growth?

Written by: Christopher Collard

Population Growth – Should we Stop It? Attitudes around limiting grow vary according to religious affiliation. Figure 1: Whether voters agreed or disagreed with the statement, “Utah Should Take Action to Slow its Population Growth in Urban Areas” As outlined in Part III, much of the Utah Foundation’s work directly or indirectly addresses the problems created by Utah’s population growth. We often examine ways to address these problems. However, in the Utah Priorities Project survey, … Continued

Significant Statistics | Growth Part III: How Utah is Addressing Growth Pressures

Written by: Christopher Collard

Growth and Transportation Infrastructure Utah has a history of robust investment in transportation infrastructure. Utah’s investment in transportation went to a new level after 2020; the state budget for transportation in 2022 is nearly twice that of its 2012-2020, even after accounting for inflation and population growth. While traffic decreased during the pandemic, it recovered by January 2021, and while Utah is among the top five states for remote workers, it is not clear to … Continued

Significant Statistics | Growth Part II: Priorities for Addressing Growth

Written by: Christopher Collard

Utah’s rapid growth means the state can expect to continue seeing a growing economy and increased national prominence. But it would be a mistake to assume that this growth can come without a price. Certainly, survey respondents to the Utah Foundation’s 2020 Utah Priorities Project have concerns. When thinking about population growth, most Utah voters were concerned about infrastructure for roads and water. Those that were more concerned with roads tended to be affiliated with … Continued

Significant Statistics | Growth Part I: The Nation’s Fastest Growing State

Written by: Christopher Collard

In the decade preceding 2020, Utah grew by 18.4%, making it the fastest-growing state in the nation. This news comes despite births in Utah continuing to decline in a trend beginning in 2008, meaning that although Utah still has one of the highest fertility rates in the nation, more and more of its population growth comes from migration. It is expected that by 2031 Utah will have added an additional half million people to its … Continued

Significant Statistics | Are Californians to Blame for Salt Lake’s Rising Housing and Rental Rates?

Written by: Christopher Collard

The Utah Foundation has released a series of Significant Statistics on the relative importance of housing affordability among Utah voters, noting the steep increases in housing prices and rental prices. Why are we seeing these increases? The Utah Foundation has looked at whether it might be due to an influx of Californians. That does not seem to be the whole answer. When looking at Utah’s larger metropolitan areas, the recent rate of people moving in … Continued

Policy Savant Panel — UtahPolicy.com: Is now the time to bond for infrastructure?

Written by: Peter Reichard

Interest rates are at historic lows, Utah’s AAA bond rating is still going strong, and we have significant bonding capacity, even within the state’s tight statutory and constitutional constraints. Under normal circumstances, these factors alone would make this an advantageous time to consider a bonding program for infrastructure. But with Utah and its local governments exploring options for economic stimulus, a strong case can be made for focusing efforts on infrastructure. Investments in infrastructure protect … Continued

Significant Statistics | Which area of the Wasatch Front has the highest income inequality?

Written by: Staff

Earlier this month, Utah Foundation held a Breakfast Briefing looking at income inequality. Utah Foundation has also dedicated multiple Significant Statistics posts to looking at how income inequality varies across the state. We found that urban counties in Utah have the same levels of inequality when compared to more-rural counties (though income baselines varied significantly). However, the broad analysis obscures some of the detail, showing wide variation in inequality among counties and regions. Similarly, looking … Continued