Boulder, Colorado
|
|
Boulder.jpeg
Boulder is well known for its commitment to preserving open space and limited population growth. However, by 2000, limited residential growth had combined with university and commercial growth to create traffic congestion and very expensive real estate.
Boulder has a reputation as a bastion of liberalism in a predominantly conservative state. (One mayor of the city described Boulder as "nestled between the mountains and reality," and the city is also sometimes referred to as the “People’s Republic of Boulder.”) The predominant liberalism, however, is not monolithic; Boulder has a substantial number of conservative and libertarian residents. The Promise Keepers, an evangelical organization for men, was founded in Boulder in 1990.
| Contents |
History
In the early to mid 1800s, nomadic Arapaho Indians frequently wintered at the base of the foothills in the Boulder area. The first recorded European settlers in the area were gold prospectors who arrived in 1858. Mining in the Boulder area continued to be a prominent part of the local economy through the mid 1900s. Colorado statehood in 1876 led to the state's creation of the University of Colorado at Boulder, which opened in 1877.
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. In 1967, Boulder became the first city to levy a tax on residents for the acquisition and preservation of municipal open space in the form of a buffer around the city.
Law and government
Boulder was the second city in the United States to implement the Hare (or Single Transferable Vote) method of voting in 1917. It was repealed in 1947.
Geography
Boulder is located in Boulder Valley where the Rocky Mountains meet the Great Plains. Just west of the city are imposing slabs of sedimentary stone tilted up on the foothils, known as "the Flatirons." These are iconic of Boulder and often appear on city-related paraphanelia.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 65.7 km² (25.4 mi²). 63.1 km² (24.4 mi²) of it is land and 2.6 km² (1.0 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 3.94% water.
Boulder in fiction
Boulder was a setting for Stephen King's book The Stand (1978), and for the sitcom Mork & Mindy (1978–1982). Some houses and the NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research) building overlooking the town were used in the filming of Woody Allen's Sleeper. Boulder is also partly the basis for the town of South Park in the animated show "South Park," the creators of which (Trey Parker & Matt Stone) attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, which also makes appearences in "South Park."
Demographics
DSCN5800_bouderbelowflatirons_e.jpg
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 94,673 people, 39,596 households, and 16,788 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,499.9/km² (3,884.1/mi²). There are 40,726 housing units at an average density of 645.2/km² (1,670.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 88.33% White, 1.22% Black or African American, 0.48% Native American, 4.02% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.50% from other races, and 2.40% from two or more races. 8.24% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 39,596 households out of which 20.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.3% are married couples living together, 6.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 57.6% are non-families. 33.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.20 and the average family size is 2.84.
In the city the population is spread out, with 14.8% under the age of 18, 25.9% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 29 years. For every 100 females there are 106.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and older, there are 107.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $44,748, and the median income for a family is $70,257. Males have a median income of $41,829 versus $32,100 for females. The per capita income for the city is $27,262. 17.4% of the population and 6.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 10.4% of those under the age of 18 and 6.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Boulder is also home to
- the University of Colorado at Boulder, which contributes roughly 30,000 residents to the population,
- the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and
- a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research center.
Transportation
Boulder is easily visited from Denver via the Route B Express (http://www.rtd-denver.com/), which runs from Market Street Station to Downtown Boulder (right near the Pearl Street Mall, which is the first stop for any tourist). Hiking trails start just at the edge of town a few blocks away.
Boulder is a city where the bicycle is used as a serious form of transportation, and the city has high rates of bicycle commuting and walking. The city is part of the Denver Regional Transit District, yet tends to go its own way with transportation policy. The city's transportation office, Go Boulder (http://www.ci.boulder.co.us/goboulder/), operates an extensive busing program, including the high-frequency small buses the "Hop" the "Skip".
Go Boulder and the RTD run several other similarly branded bus routes, including the "Bound," "Dash," and "Leap." These have become increasingly popular and visible parts of Boulder's public transportation; many residents and businesses pay for transit not by the ride, but by the year, under a program called "ECO-Pass." Under the same program, entire neighborhoods have banded together to buy a bus pass for everyone living in the area. Additionally, all students at the University of Colorado at Boulder are issued bus passes as part of their school ID, paid for by student fees. Most vehicles have a NextBus satellite tracking system.
However, like most of the other major metropolitan areas in Colorado, the car is by far the most visible form of personal transportation. But with recent increases in traffic load and little room for further roadway expansion within the city, alternative forms of transportation have become increasingly popular even among the middle and upper classes of Boulder.
Colleges, universities, science institutes
- University of Colorado - http://www.colorado.edu/
- NIST Boulder - http://www.boulder.nist.gov/
- NOAA Boulder - http://noaa.gov/
- National Center for Atmospheric Research / University Corporation for Atmospheric Research - http://www.ncar.ucar.edu/
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) - http://lasp.colorado.edu/
- Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy (CASA) - http://casa.colorado.edu/
- Space Science Institute - http://www.spacescience.org/
- Southwest Research Institute Department of Space Studies - http://www.boulder.swri.edu/
- Boulder College of Massage Therapy - http://www.bcmt.org/
- Naropa University - http://www.naropa.edu/
External links
- Official city website (http://www.ci.boulder.co.us/)
- "A Brief History of Boulder County (http://bcn.boulder.co.us/lwv/success/history.html)"
- The Boulder Community Network (http://bcn.boulder.co.us/) serves all of Boulder County, Colorado. It is the second-oldest web-based community network in the world, and went on-line on March 15, 1994.
