Boulder, Colorado

Government preservation of open space around Boulder began with the Congress of the United States approving the allocation of 1,800 acres (7.3 km²) of mountain backdrop/watershed extending from South Boulder Creek to Sunshine Canyon in 1899.

Since then, Boulder has adopted a policy of controlled urban expansion. In 1959, city voters approved the "Blue Line" city-charter amendment which restricted city water service to altitudes below 5,750 feet (1,750 m), in an effort to protect the mountain backdrop from development. In 1967, city voters approved a dedicated sales tax for the acquisition of open space in an effort to contain urban sprawl. In 1970, Boulder created a "comprehensive plan" that would dictate future zoning, transportation, and urban planning decisions. Hoping to preserve residents' views of the mountains, in 1972, the city enacted an ordinance limiting the height of newly constructed buildings. A Historic-Preservation Code was passed in 1974, and a residential-growth management ordinance (the Danish Plan) in 1976.[22][23]

Effective growth management has resulted in a rapid increase in housing costs with the median home price rising 60% over the period 2010 to 2015 to $648,200.[24]

Prairie dogs enjoy special protection in Boulder.

The City of Boulder has created an Urban Wildlife Management Plan which sets policies for managing and protecting urban wildlife.[25] Also, the city's Parks and Recreation and Open Space and Mountain Parks departments have volunteers who monitor parks (including wetlands, lakes, etc.) to protect ecosystems.[26] From time to time, parks and hiking trails are closed to conserve or restore ecosystems.[27] Traditionally, Boulder has avoided the use of chemical pesticides for controlling the insect population. However, with the threat of West Nile virus, the city began an integrative plan to control the mosquito population in 2003 that includes chemical pesticides. Residents can opt-out of the program by contacting the city and asking that their areas not be sprayed.[28]

Under Boulder law, extermination of prairie dogs requires a permit.[29]

Also in 2005, the city experimented with using goats for weed control in environmentally sensitive areas. Goats naturally consume diffuse knapweed and Canada thistle, and although the program was not as effective as it was hoped, goats will still be considered in the future weed control projects. In 2010, goats were used to keep weeds under control at the Boulder Reservoir.[30]

The city's Open Space and Mountain Parks department manages approximately 8,000 acres of protected forest land west of the city in accordance with a 1999 Forest Ecosystem Management Plan. The plan aims to maintain or enhance native plant and animal species, their communities, and the ecological processes that sustain them and to reduce the wildfire risk to forest and human communities.[31]

Autumn in Boulder brings many sunny days.

Snowfall is common in Boulder throughout the winter.

Boulder has a temperate climate typical for much of the state and receives many sunny or mostly sunny days each year. Under the Köppen climate classification, the city is considered semi-arid (Köppen BSk) with some overlap of a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa), due to its relatively high yearly precipation.[32][33][34] Winter conditions range from generally mild to the occasional bitterly cold, with highs averaging in the mid to upper 40s °F (7–9 °C). There are 4.6 nights annually when the temperature reaches 0 °F (−18 °C). Because of orographic lift, the mountains to the west often dry out the air passing over the Front Range, often shielding the city from precipitation in winter, though heavy falls may occur. Snowfall averages 88 inches (220 cm) per season, but snow depth is usually shallow; a strong warming sun due to the high elevation can quickly melt snow cover during the day, and Chinook winds bring rapid warm-ups throughout the winter months. Summers are warm with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Roughly 30 days reach 90 °F (32 °C) or above each year.[35] Diurnal temperature variation is typically large due to the high elevation and semi-arid climate. Daytime highs are generally cooler than most Colorado cities with similar elevations. However, Boulder's nighttime lows, particularly during winter, are among the warmest in the state. Daily average temperatures remain above 32 °F (0 °C) year-round.[36]

The highest recorded temperature of 104 °F (40 °C) occurred most recently on June 25, 2012.[37] The record low was −33 °F (−36 °C) on January 17, 1930. The coldest high temperature, −12 °F (−24 °C), was on February 4, 1989; while the warmest overnight low was recorded on July 20, 1998, with a temperature of 82 °F (28 °C)[38]

Boulder has hosted a 10 km road run, the Bolder Boulder, on Memorial Day, every year since 1979. The race involves over 50,000 runners, joggers, walkers, and wheelchair racers, making it one of the largest road races in the world. It has the largest non-marathon prize purse in road racing.[48] The race culminates at Folsom Field with a Memorial Day Tribute. The 2007 race featured over 54,000[49] runners, walkers, and wheelchair racers, making it the largest race in the US in which all participants are timed and the fifth largest road race in the world.[50]

Founded in 1958, the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra is a critically acclaimed professional orchestra that offers dynamic programming under the leadership of its Music Director Michael Butterman.[51]

Founded in 1976 by Giora Bernstein, the Colorado Music Festival presents a summer series of concerts in Chautauqua Auditorium.[52]

Boulder is home to multiple dance companies and establishments. Boulder Ballet was founded by former American Ballet Theatre dancer Larry Boyette in the 1970s as part of the Ballet Arts Studios.[53] Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet was founded in 2004 by Robert Sher-Machherndl, former principal dancer of the Dutch National Ballet and Bavarian State Ballet.[54]

The Conference on World Affairs, started in 1948, is an annual one-week conference featuring dozens of discussion panels on a variety of contemporary issues.[55]

The internationally syndicated radio program eTown has its headquarters at eTown Hall, at the intersection of 16th and Spruce Streets, in downtown Boulder. Most tapings of this weekly show are done at eTown Hall.[56][57]

Beginning in 1983, hundreds of people head to the Boulder Reservoir on New Year's Day to take part in the annual polar bear plunge.[58] With rescue teams standing by, participants use a variety of techniques to plunge themselves into the freezing reservoir.[59] Once the plunge is complete, swimmers retreat to hot tubs on the reservoir beach to revive themselves from the cold.

Starting in 1998, dozens of people have taken part in a Halloween run down the city's streets wearing only shoes and a hollowed-out pumpkin on their heads. In 2009, local police threatened participants with charges of indecent exposure and no naked runners were reported in official newscasts, although a few naked runners were observed by locals.[60]

For several years on April 20, thousands of people gathered on the CU Boulder campus to celebrate 420 and smoke marijuana at and before 4:20 pm. The 2010 head count was officially between 8,000 and 15,000 with some discrepancy between the local papers and the University administrators (who have been thought to have been attempting to downplay the event). Eleven citations were given out whereas the year before there were only two.[61] 2011 was the last year of mass 420 partying at CU[62] as the university, in 2012, took a hard stance against 420 activities, closing the campus to visitors for the day, using smelly fish fertilizer to discourage gathering at the Norlin Quad, and having out-of-town law enforcement agencies help secure the campus.[63] In 2013, April 20 fell on a Saturday; the university continued the 420 party ban and, again, closed the campus to visitors.[64] In 2015 the government conceded and once again opened the park to visitors on April 20.[65]

The Boulder Cruiser Ride is a weekly bicycle ride in Boulder Colorado. The Boulder Cruiser Ride grew from a group of friends and friends of friends riding bicycles around Boulder into "an all-out public mob". Some enthusiasts gather wearing costumes and decorating their bikes; themes are an integral part of the cruiser tradition. Boulder Police began following the cruiser ride as it gained in popularity. Issues with underage drinking, reckless bicycle riding, and other nuisance complaints led organizers to drop the cruiser ride as a public event.[66] Returning to an underground format, where enthusiasts must become part of the social network before gaining access to event sites, the Boulder Cruiser Ride has continued as a local tradition. On May 30, 2013 over 400 riders attended the Thursday-night Cruiser Ride in honor of "Big Boy", an elk that was shot and killed on New Year's Day by an on-duty[67] Boulder Police officer.[68]

Trailheads for many popular hikes are located at Chautauqua Park.

Boulder is surrounded by thousands of acres of recreational open space, conservation easements, and nature preserves. Almost 60 percent, 35,584 acres (144.00 km²), of open space totaling 61,529 acres (249.00 km²) is open to the public.[69]

Rock climbing is found near the small unincorporated community of Eldorado Springs, south of Boulder. There are also climbing routes available in the city open space, including climbing routes of varying difficulty on the Flatirons themselves (traditional protection). Boulder Canyon (sport), directly west of downtown Boulder, also has many routes. All three of these areas are affected by seasonal closures for wildlife.[70][71]

USA Rugby, the national governing body for rugby in the United States, is headquartered in Boulder.

The Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) administers the public school system in Boulder.

Charter schools (receiving public funding but under private management) within the city of Boulder include Preparatory High School (9–12), Summit Middle School (6–8), and Horizons Alternative School (K–8).

A variety of private high schools, middle schools and elementary schools operate in Boulder.

Part of the campus of Naropa University

• University of Colorado Boulder, public university which contributes roughly 46,000 residents (30,000 undergraduate students, 7,000 graduate students and 10,000 staff/faculty) to the population.
• Naropa University is a private university based on Buddhist principles. It has approximately 400 undergraduate and over 600 graduate students.
• Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts a culinary school group with campuses in Boulder and Austin, Texas.

• Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES)
• Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA)
• Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy (CASA)
• Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research (CCAR)
• Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR)
• Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics (JILA)
• Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP)
• Geological Society of America, headquartered at 3300 Penrose Place.
• National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON)
• National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) / University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)
  • High Altitude Observatory (HAO)
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
  • Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL)
  • Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC)
• National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC)
• National Solar Observatory (NSO)
• National Telecommunications and Information Administration(NTIA) – Institute for Telecommunication Sciences Boulder
• Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI)
• Rocky Mountain Institute
• Southwest Research Institute Department of Space Studies
• Space Science Institute
• UNAVCO National Science Foundation's Geodetic Facility
• United States Geological Survey (USGS)

Since Boulder has operated under residential growth control ordinances since 1976, the growth of employment in the city has far outstripped population growth. Considerable road traffic enters the city each morning and leaves each afternoon, since many employees live in Longmont, Lafayette, Louisville, Broomfield, Westminster, and Denver. Boulder is served by US 36 and a variety of state highways. Parking regulations in Boulder have been explicitly designed to discourage parking by commuters and to encourage the use of mass transit, with mixed results.

Over the years, Boulder has made significant investments in the multi-modal network. The city is now well known for its grade-separated bicycle and pedestrian paths, which are integrated into a network of bicycle lanes, cycle tracks, and on-street bicycle routes. Boulder also provides a community transit network that connects downtown, the University of Colorado campuses, and local shopping amenities. While the city has no rail transit, local and regional shuttle busses are funded by a variety of sources. Due in part to these investments in pedestrian, bicycle, and transit infrastructure, Boulder has been recognized both nationally and internationally for its transportation system.[87]

In 2009, the Boulder metropolitan statistical area (MSA) ranked as the fourth highest in the United States for percentage of commuters who biked to work (5.4 percent).[88] In 2013, the Boulder MSA ranked as the fourth lowest in the United States for percentage of workers who commuted by private automobile (71.9 percent). During the same time period, 11.1 percent of Boulder area workers had no commute whatsoever: they worked out of the home.[89]

Boulder has an extensive bus system operated by the Regional Transportation District (RTD). The HOP, SKIP, JUMP, Bound, DASH and Stampede routes run throughout the city and connect to nearby communities with departures every ten minutes during peak hours, Monday-Friday. Other routes, such as the 204, 205, 206, 208 and 209 depart every 15 to 30 minutes. Regional routes, traveling between nearby cities such as Longmont (BOLT, J), Golden (GS), and Denver (Flatiron Flyer,[90] a Bus Rapid Transit route), as well as Denver International Airport (AB), are also available. There are over 100 scheduled daily bus trips on seven routes that run between Boulder and Denver on weekdays.[91]

A 41-mile RTD commuter rail route called the Northwest Rail Line is proposed to run from Denver through Boulder to Longmont, with stops in major communities along the way. The Boulder station is to be north of Pearl Street and east of 30th Street. At one time this commuter rail service was scheduled to commence in 2014, but major delays have ensued. In 2016, an initial six-mile segment opened, reaching from downtown Denver to southern Westminster at West 71st Avenue and Federal Boulevard.[92] The remaining 35 miles of the Northwest Rail Line is planned to be completed by 2044, depending upon funding.[93]

These future transit plans, as well as the current Flatiron Flyer Bus Rapid Transit route, are part of FasTracks, an RTD transit improvement plan funded by a 0.4% increase in the sales tax throughout the Denver metro area. RTD, the developer of FasTracks, is partnering with the city of Boulder to plan a transit-oriented development near Pearl and 33rd Streets in association with the proposed Boulder commuter rail station. The development is to feature the Boulder Railroad Depot, already relocated to that site, which may be returned to a transit-related use.

Boulder, well known for its bicycle culture, boasts hundreds of miles of bicycle-pedestrian paths, lanes, and routes that interconnect to create a renowned network of bikeways usable year-round. Boulder has 74 bike and pedestrian underpasses that facilitate safer and uninterrupted travel throughout much of the city. The city offers a route-finding website that allows users to map personalized bike routes around the city.[94]

The headquarters of the free and non-obligatory hospitality exchange network Warm Showers is based in Boulder.

In May 2011, B-cycle bike-sharing opened in Boulder with 100 red bikes and 12 stations.[95]

Boulder Municipal Airport is located 3 miles (4.8 km) from central Boulder, is owned by the City of Boulder and is used exclusively for general aviation, with most traffic consisting of single-engine airplanes and glider aircraft.[96]