Authored by Deanna Dupuy, Comprehensive Planning Manager, City of Boise; Rachael Aziz, Principal, All Together; and Lena Walker, Associate Planner, City of Boise
In 2023, Boise, Idaho completed the first comprehensive rewrite of our zoning code since its initial adoption in 1967. The four-year effort involved extensive community engagement and generated a tremendous amount of feedback about how the city should grow and change. While we celebrated a unanimous approval from our city council, the road to adoption was not easy.
One of our biggest challenges was effective communication. Zoning codes are complex documents that rely on technical terms, making it difficult to summarize important information and avoid the “jargon trap.” We also struggled to help people visualize changes that sound abstract when described in words, like decreasing a minimum lot size.
While people were eager to help shape the city’s future, they expressed frustration that it is hard to think about the future when you cannot picture what it might look like.
Conventional city planning wisdom is that people tend to oppose change simply because we fear the unknown, but our experience was different: while there was plenty of disagreement about specific changes to the code, there was broad agreement that we were ready for change. People were concerned about housing affordability for future generations and excited about the possibilities of growth, such as new transportation options and neighborhood-scale businesses within walking distance of home or work.
Those shared values became an important part of the rewrite, and we did not want to lose sight of them. Technical documents are good at explaining what the rules are, but not why those rules exist. So we set out to create something that could explain the code and tell its story: an illustrated comic book as the zoning guide.
Why a Comic Book?
The narrative format of a comic book allowed us to tell the story of the zoning code and provide a context for regulations rather than simply explain them.
It’s true that comics are fun, but they are much more than that. By design, comics excel at fitting a lot of information into a limited space. Perhaps more importantly, they are not meant to be read once and “understood,” but enjoyed again and again. They are surprisingly well-suited to engaging with complex topics, because rather than oversimplifying, they allow the reader to absorb information at their own pace. For a topic like zoning, this gradual learning can be more effective than expecting someone to understand a technical document in one sitting.
As a bonus, comics stretch your investment: a single panel can later become part of a presentation, handout, classroom activity or social media post.
How We Made It
We knew we couldn’t turn a zoning code into a compelling story on our own, so we partnered with All Together, a firm that specializes in making complex civic information accessible and engaging. They led the creative process from framework to finished guide.
We started by convening focus groups with neighbors, developers, architects and city staff to help shape the project, asking participants to identify the most confusing parts of the code and share their experiences navigating the development process. All Together used that input to shape the narrative and translate abstract regulations, like the difference between use and form, into something a reader could actually picture.
All Together brought on comic book artist Andrea Bell. Working closely with Bell, they workshopped illustrations of the code’s trickiest concepts and gave the guide a local feel, weaving in iconic Boise landmarks and creating original characters based on Boise city staff and community members.
The final product was a 60-page comic book available in both print and digital formats, with a glossary of terms in the back and a fully screen reader-friendly version with detailed alt text.
Unexpected Positive Impacts
We initially thought of the guide as a public engagement tool, but it turned out to be useful inside city hall, too.
By creating something about planning that was not a traditional planning document, other departments began to see planning as part of conversations in which we might not previously have been included. This has helped break down siloes and strengthen collaboration on issues ranging from climate action to digital accessibility. Because All Together designed the guide’s assets to be modular from the start, staff in other departments could pick a panel or a page and put it straight to work. At the Water Shed, a learning center run by our Public Works department, staff use visuals from the guide to explain how land use planning affects the water system and people’s everyday lives. Our public library has put copies in each branch location and invited us to join the city’s outreach table at the annual Comic Arts Festival, giving us an opportunity to talk with people we rarely see at the permit desk.
The guide also serves as a valuable resource for schools and visiting students. Planning staff are often asked to speak with young people but seldom have the time or resources to develop educational materials. The illustrated guide provides ready-made and effective visual aids which can be repurposed into handouts and activities.
And while perhaps not even a fun comic can outshine the frustrations of applying for a permit, planners now have a way to give someone an understandable starting point and help them know what to expect.
Key Takeaways
- The story of “why” matters. Change will inevitably generate disagreement, but the reasons for making a change are often where communities find common ground. Whether you use a comic book, video, website or a traditional report, find a way to tell the story of why you are making a change and keep that story visible after the decision is made.
- Use visuals to create a shared language. Your community may be more ready than you think to take on complex or technical topics. People of all ages and backgrounds have perspectives to contribute, but first, they need to be able to understand and picture what you are talking about.
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