Date of Award

8-2025

Degree Type

Creative Project

Degree Name

Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)

Department

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning

Committee Chair(s)

David Evans (Committee Chair)

Committee

David Evans

Committee

Ole Sleipness

Committee

Steven Mansfield

Abstract

Gateway communities (towns and cities located near public lands and natural amenities) are experiencing significant and often disruptive change as they transition from economies historically rooted in natural resource extraction to those increasingly driven by tourism and amenity-based migration (Howe et al., 1997; Stoker et al., 2020).

In the Intermountain West, places like Jackson, Wyoming; Springdale, Utah; and West Yellowstone, Montana exemplify this trend, and Kamas Valley is emerging as part of this broader pattern.

Although these communities share a deep cultural and economic connection to their landscapes, they now face mounting pressures from population growth, changing land uses, and shifting economic priorities.

The predictable development trajectory seen in many gateway communities raises concerns about the sustainability of local character, economic resilience, and the long-term stewardship of the surrounding natural resources.

As these communities evolve, they must grapple with balancing growth and development while preserving the identity and environmental integrity that make them attractive in the first place.

Download

Share

COinS

Copyright for this work is retained by the student. If you have any questions regarding the inclusion of this work in the Digital Commons, please email us at .