Washington instituted a Growth Management Act in the 1980s to help the state grow smarter. But recent studies show that the GMA has made housing increasingly unaffordable.
"Nearly 20 years after its inception, Washington's Growth Management Act (GMA) is a dismal failure. Instead of reducing sprawl by limiting development to designated urban areas, as the Legislature intended, we have subdivisions from Arlington to Tumwater housing people who work in King County. Instead of affordable housing resulting from a more intensive use of land, a median-income family cannot afford a median-priced home anywhere in King County. In Seattle, GMAbased growth regulations have added 45 percent -- about $200,000 -- to the cost of a median-priced home."
"Despite these and other unintended consequences, we have yet to recognize the problems created by the GMA. Rather than change course, our planners and politicians -- at the behest of the organized environmental community -- are ordering more of the same. How did we get here?"
FULL STORY: Dumb Growth
USDOT Releases Climate Strategies Playbook
The USDOT's new Climate Strategies that Work Playbook provides detailed information concerning benefits and implementation requirements for 27 transportation-related emission reduction strategies.
Book Review: Combining Sustainability and Smart Growth
A review of The Sustainable Urban Design Handbook, by architects Nico Larco and Kaarin Knudson.
Analyzing Accessibility Disparities
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Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Has President Trump Met His Match?
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Can State Lawmakers Make the Case for Road Charges?
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10 States Follow Through on Promise to Put 3.3 Million EVs on the Road
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Surf’s Upcycling: Hawai‘i’s Latest Green Building Material is Recycled Surf Boards
“Surf Blocks” are fire-resistant, termite-proof, and close the loop on mountains of waste from the state’s beloved sport.
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.
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Harvard GSD Executive Education
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