Gateway communities are the doorstep to our nation’s national parks, public lands, cherished recreation areas, and iconic landscapes that draw millions of domestic and international visitors each year . Additionally, across the western United States many communities are being “discovered” and in the last three years, these communities have seen unprecedented change and growth . As a result, a growing number of gateway communities and the public lands surrounding them are experiencing complex planning and management challenges, including those more typical to urban contexts, such as housing affordability and transportation congestion concerns .
