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.
"The state Growth Management Act generally requires urban-density development to be channeled into the urban-growth areas designated around existing cities."
"But the law also allows counties to approve huge developments, called 'fully contained communities,' where in theory residents would live, work, shop and play without significantly affecting the surrounding areas."
"Next year, the council will consider changes to its comprehensive plan, and Somers wants to permanently nix the communities."
"If he retains the support of Sullivan and Cooper, the Lake Roesiger debate could be moot."
"That would please the Puget Sound Regional Council's executive board. Three weeks ago, the board endorsed Vision 2040, a regional planning strategy that includes a new goal: Counties should avoid creating fully contained communities 'because of their potential to create sprawl and undermine state and regional growth-management goals.'"
FULL STORY: Mini-city plan could be turning point for Snohomish land-use policy
Snohomish County, Washington, Sets its Sights on Sprawl
Advocates say it’s unnecessary, but Snohomish County is preparing to expand its urban growth areas to allow for more low density residential development.
Nearly a third of US housing is in the wildland-urban interface — and at growing risk of wildfire
As suburbs increasingly mingle with undeveloped land, homes face a higher risk from destructive fires.
Congestion Costing Reality Check, Part 2: A congestion costing critique
There are good reasons to be skeptical of highway industry claims that traffic congestion is a growing problem. Their analysis is often incomplete and biased. Let’s pull back the curtain on some major congestion cost studies.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association