The Seattle Times

Washington, D.C. is almost out of space, and planners are now considering building upward to combat sprawl.

As foreclosures spread throughout the suburbs, subdivisions are rapidly becoming modern-day ghost towns, according to this column from The Seattle Times.

Residents in the Seattle region are calling on officials to expand the area's urban growth boundary to allow denser development in what is currently outside the border.

New census figures have been released, showing a rise in median household income and more people with health insurance. But experts warn that the figures do not account for the recent slump in the economy.

Broad redevelopment plans have been approved for Seattle Center, the public gathering place first built in 1962 for the World's Fair.

Van Nguyen and six neighbors in the NewHolly neighborhood of Seattle weren't satisfied with the city's lack of action on the cars speeding through their community- so they installed speedbumps themselves.

Sound Transit is putting a major bus and rail plan on the November ballot. The Seattle Times has the details of where the money will go.

Residents of Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood are complaining about plans to redevelop nearby Fort Lawton which includes housing for seniors and homeless.

Employers in the Seattle area are outpacing City Hall in providing incentives to employees not to drive to work in single occupancy cars. A state law even requires companies with 100 or more commuters to provide alternative commuting plans.

In what is almost a real-life caricature of the battle of the single homeowner against the huge corporation, Edith Macefield refused to sell her home to a developer planning a major retail outlet, who then built around. This week Ms. Macefield died.

In this guest column, Washington Governor Christine Gregoire, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, and King County Executive Ron Sims argue that Seattle needs to find a creative solution to the problem posed by its aging inner-city freeway.

A local commercial property developer has built two prototype units and announced plans to erect a 62 unit complex -- claiming the factory built units will cost 15 percent less then traditional housing.

A Googie-era Denny's Restaurant in the Seattle area is at the center of a debate about how buildings get designated as landmarks. Yesterday, the Preservation Board relented on economic considerations, and the building is slated for demolition.

Instead of asking residents to consider a timid plan this November, the region's transit agency should wait until its first light rail line opens, and gas prices rise even higher. Voters will then be ready for a grander plan, argues a recent column.

Celebrated for its livability and character, the city is increasingly unaffordable to the very people who gave Seattle its funky vibe.

Record gas prices have helped the nation's transit systems attract record numbers of riders. Notably, the biggest increases have occurred in the South and West, where public transportation has traditionally been underutilized.

A recent report argues that tolls could provide the solution to Seattle's traffic congestion, but they would have to be very high, and very widely used.

Seattle's new light rail line is poised to usher in a new era for Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Though most are excited about the new development, the fear of gentrification has made some residents worry that they won't be around to reap the benefits.

Officials and residents in Snohomish County, Washington, are grappling over proposed changes to their comprehensive plan. A major point of contention is whether "fully contained communities" should be allowed.

It's politics, not planning, that drives up housing costs. Rather than back away from regulations, more professional planning is needed to create healthy and affordable communities.