Boulder, Colorado has taken a unique path to its long history of economic success -- and has been so successful because of that path, inc.com reported.

Since the late 1800's, when residents urged state legislators to establish Colorado's first state university, the city has been driven, prescient, and conscientious of its natural surroundings.

Boulder's 10,000 inhabitants backed architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. in 1908 to plan the growing city -- a "precocious move" according to inc writer Burt Helm for a still tiny city. Olmsted's views were in line with a city already protective of its natural beauty. He planned for underground power lines and cautioned against dirty suburban industries and tourist-driven entities.

"As with the food we eat and the air we breathe, so the sights habitually before our eyes play an immense part of determining whether we feel cheerful, efficient, and fit for life," Olmsted wrote in his report., inc.com reported.

The Rocky Mountain city caught a break in the 1950's when it beat out 11 other states and became home to the National Bureau of Standards's new Radio Propagation Laboratory, and, in the process, caught the eye of the federal government. A slew of other government projects ensued, according to inc.com. The population doubled between 1950 and 1960.

As Boulder was becoming a western hub of science and industry, residents never lost their admiration for the mountains. In 1959, Sewer or water services were banned from approaching the surrounding mountain side in order to protect the view. "Green spaces" were taxed at an exorbitant rate to discourage potentially damaging development. Housing expansion was grounded. The results are still seen today in the 97,000 acres the city continues to manage, according to ink.com.

Based on pure statistics, Boulder County (now supporting 300,000 people) is one of the most impressive economies in the United States. It has more tech-startups per citizen than any city in the country, ranks among the top twenty metro areas in terms of GDP, and has an unemployment rate of 5.4 percent, according to inc.com. Many entrepeneurs and startups have stayed or moved to Boulder because of the city's natural beauty and smart planning, legacies going all the way to its planning in the early 1900's, according to inc.com.