A change in mayoral administrations means a change at the top of Seattle's Department of Transportation. After almost four years, Peter Hahn will make way for a new director. Lynn Thompson examines his accomplishments and hints at what may be ahead.
Add Seattle to the list of cities looking for a new transportation czar. "Seattle Director of Transportation Peter Hahn resigned late Thursday after being informed by Mayor-elect Ed Murray that he wouldn’t be kept on in the new administration," reports Thompson.
On Friday, alternative transportation advocates mourned his departure: "With his lovably gruff demeanor, Hahn has been instrumental in shifting the mindset at SDOT to start viewing streets as places, 'not just pipes for cars,' as he put it."
"Hahn, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) director, has been one of the highest-profile of McGinn’s department leaders, helping the mayor implement high-priority projects such as an updated Transit Plan and advancing planning efforts for high-capacity transit corridors," notes Thompson.
How could transportation priorities change under Mayor Murray? "During the mayoral campaign, Murray said he wanted an integrated transportation system in which all the different elements, including roads, buses and light rail, would work well together," writes Thompson.
“Murray wants each mode to complement each other and not compete. Let’s talk about moving people and goods and look at the data to tell us how the modes should be prioritized,” Murray spokesman Jeff Reading said Friday.
FULL STORY: Murray to replace city transportation chief, several others
The Mall Is Dead — Long Live the Mall
The American shopping mall may be closer to its original vision than ever.
The Paradox of American Housing
How the tension between housing as an asset and as an essential good keeps the supply inadequate and costs high.
Report: Las Vegas, Houston Top List of Least Affordable Cities
The report assesses the availability of affordable rental units for low-income households.
Anchorage Leaders Debate Zoning Reform Plan
Last year, the city produced the fewest new housing units in a decade.
How to Protect Pedestrians With Disabilities
Public agencies don’t track traffic deaths and injuries involving disabled people, leaving a gap in data to guide safety interventions.
Colorado Town Fills Workforce Housing Need With ‘Dorm-Style’ Housing
Median rent in Steamboat Springs is $4,000 per month.
City of Yakima
City of Auburn
Baylands Development Inc.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
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.