The state of Washington's 1990 Growth Management Act requires regions to create long-range growth plans. The Puget Sound Region Council is currently working on its latest iteration of the plan.
"If you think the Puget Sound region is crowded now, give it another 30 years," writes Josh Cohen.
"There are currently about 4.1 million people and 2.2 million jobs in the four counties that surround Puget Sound — King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish. The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) predicts that by 2050, those numbers will rise to 5.8 million residents and 3.4 million jobs."
With that scale of growth expected, the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) is working on the Vision 2050 plan, "which updates the metropolitan planning agency’s road map for the next 30 years of growth in the Puget Sound region." The PSRC is the only organization that gathers every city in the region, and it's faced with a tall task to balance jobs and housing needed to meet the demands of population growth across the region.
According to Cohen, a coalition of transportation, environmental and community groups, led by the Transportation Choices Coalition, is pushing the PSRC to center issues of race in the regional planning process, to ensure that balance reaches across demographic lines, not just geographic boundaries.
Earlier this month, the PSRC released Vision 2050's draft environmental impact statement, at about the halfway point in a four-year process.
FULL STORY: Can Puget Sound make room for 1.8M people without pushing anyone out?
Debating the Puget Sound Regional Transportation Plan
The Puget Sound Regional Council's recently released "Regional Transportation Plan – 2018" has inspired debate about how the region should plan for growth.
Different Approaches to Fast Growth in Idaho's Treasure Valley
Three cities on the periphery of the fast-growing Treasure Valley showcase different approaches to a sudden influx of newcomers.
Cascadia Expects Millions of New Residents. Should it Build New Cities or New Density?
A recent report calls for the region stretching from Oregon to British Columbia to think big about accommodating expected population growth. The report's recommendation to build four new, large cities isn't universally accepted, however.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.
