Jobs-Housing Balance: An Outdated Planning Concept?

A quick look at the Seattle metro area shows the term may be obsolete.

1 minute read

August 9, 2006, 10:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


"In the 1980s, a concept called "jobs-housing balance" arose in urban-planning circles.

If government policies promoted building new houses, condos and apartments close to offices, stores and factories, the thinking went, people would commute shorter distances and be more likely to walk, bike or take the bus to work.

But do residents reside need their workplaces?"

"Only about 40 percent of the workers who live in Redmond â€" a city where jobs greatly outnumber residents â€" also work there, according to the Census Bureau. For Tukwila, another regional job magnet, that figure is even smaller: just 17 percent.

About three-quarters of the residents of Issaquah, Renton and Kent who work, earn their living in another town."

The census estimates for places like Redmond and Issaquah suggest "there are limits to that notion (of jobs-housing balance), and they should be recognized," says Dan Carlson, a senior lecturer at the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Affairs who studies transportation and land use.

Thanks to Lowell Grattan via Sierra Club Land Use Forum

Friday, July 28, 2006 in The Seattle Times

View form second story inside Southdale Mall in Edina, Minnesota with escalators and model cars parked on downstairs floor.

The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall

The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.

March 21, 2024 - Governing

Houston, Texas skyline.

Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities

The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.

March 22, 2024 - Urban Edge

White three-story brick single-room occupancy hotel in downtown Los Angeles, California.

‘Micro-Apartment’ Trend Underscores Housing Crisis

SROs are making a comeback under a new name as the housing supply remains strained and costs soar.

March 22, 2024 - Associated Press via Yahoo News

Downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota skylinw with stone arched brige in foreground.

Study: How to Revitalize Downtown Minneapolis

A proposal calls for a reevaluation of the city’s skyways, a focus on street-facing businesses, and an improved public realm.

29 minutes ago - Minneapolis Post

Aerial view of Milwaukee, Wisconsin skyline with freeway interchanges in foreground at night.

Milwaukee Residents Challenge Freeway Expansion

Residents are voicing opposition to a planned expansion of Interstate 94, arguing that the project would eliminate the limited green space in the neighborhood.

1 hour ago - Spectrum News 1

Street Traffic in Manhattan

New York Congestion Pricing Approved by MTA Board

The program took another step forward as the board approved a proposed pricing scheme, but lawsuits still stand in the way of full implementation.

2 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.