Seattle Mayor Ed Murray announced the creation of a cabinet-level Office of Planning and Community Development to address the city's explosive growth.
"With dramatic growth taking hold in Seattle, Mayor Ed Murray wants to overhaul how the City of Seattle manages city planning and capital investments across City government," reports Stephen Fesler. Mayor Murray's method for the overhaul: creating a new, cabinet-level agency within the Mayor's Office known as the Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD).
According to Fesler, Mayor Murray will create the new office via executive order, and the OPCD "would be tasked with a broad range of strategic planning functions like transportation, land use, housing, utilities, and parks." Moreover, "Planners and technicians from various City workgroups will be consolidated into one body with the hope that increased collaboration leads to better alignment and implementation of projects and plans."
The remainder of the article includes more details about how the city will restructure its resources to create the OPCD. Because the OPCD will rely on existing staff, the change is expected to have substantial impact on the city's Department of Planning and Development. Mayor Murray has targeted September for the announcement of a formal plan of implementation for the OPCD.
Read the full story: Mayor Ed Murray Announces New Office of Planning and Community Development
Big Changes in the New Year for the Seattle Department of Planning and Development
The traditional functions of planning are going to look a lot different in Seattle when the calendar changes to 2016.
Seattle Ponders a New Approach to Zoning for its Comprehensive Plan Update
The city of Seattle will have an updated comprehensive plan by the end of 2024, with zoning changes to follow by 2025.
Mandatory Housing Affordability Details Released in Seattle
Seattle has released the long-awaited environmental impact statement for the Mandatory Housing Affordability program—a final step in the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda process launched by former Mayor Ed Murray.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.
Brightline Florida files for bankruptcy
The transit company is over $5 billion in debt.
St. Louis Metro to test if single-car trains can reduce operating costs, maintain rider satisfaction
The pilot program will run from October to spring 2027, and begin with one single-car train operating on Metrolink’s Red and Blue lines.
Pennsylvania is building data centers in abandoned mines
Housing data centers in mines provides an alternative to destroying local forests and may spare residents from data centers’ noise and air pollution.
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.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello