The fortunes of commercial real estate in Seattle have completely reversed since February, according to a new analysis.

Gene Balk shares news of a sudden recovery in office demand in Seattle.
Before the pandemic, Seattle was home to a booming tech industry and was consistently ranked among the fastest growing cities in the United States. As recently as February 2021, Balk was writing about the catastrophic collapse of demand for office spaces. But since then, demand has come roaring back, according to the Office Demand Index produced by VTS, the New York-based company that provides leasing and asset management software for commercial real estate landlords.
"From 2018 to 2019, Seattle had an average monthly index score of 90. That, of course, was before the pandemic had closed down offices, requiring millions of employees to work from home. By December 2020, Seattle’s index number had plummeted to a dismal 17," writes Balk. "But in 2021, Seattle has experienced a tremendous rebound, with interest in new office space growing each month. As of March, the index for interest in office space had shot past the pre-pandemic average, hitting 107."
According to researchers at VTS, the sudden shift is the result of pent-up demand and companies seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and working to get a jump on the market. There's another big caveat among he data shared by VTS: office space leasing for the tech industry is still far slower than pre-pandemic levels. "But a surge in interest in office space from other major industries in Seattle — health care, legal and professional services — has made up for that."
FULL STORY: Downtown Seattle dying? Not so fast. Demand for office space roars back to pre-pandemic levels

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie