The Seattle City Council is considering allowing buildings of up to 150 ft. in parts of the historic Pioneer Square neighborhood. Some say the scale is out of character; others say, not high enough!
The Downtown Seattle Association is pushing for greater heights, aiming for 180 ft., saying that the area needs a serious injection of population to boost its economic engine.
Meanwhile, preservationists fear that the density will cause neglect to the historic buildings in the neighborhood. Developers point to Portland's Pearl District as an example of a community that added density without destroying the historic character of the area:
"Preservationists agree that Pioneer Square needs more housing to bolster the struggling business district. One of its biggest draws, The Elliott Bay Book Company, departed last year for the trendier, and busier, Pike-Pine corridor.
But those charged with protecting the historic legacy worry that 18-story buildings would be out of scale with the 19th-century Romanesque facades that make up the historic district."
FULL STORY: Pioneer Square: Historic character vs. height
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.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
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.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
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Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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