Seattle's beloved Pike Place offers a case study in how careful governance builds the foundation for flourishing places.
Jessica A. Lee interviews John Turnbull, director of asset management at the Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority, about how governance practices enable the many successes of Seattle's Pike Place.
According to the introduction to the Q&A, "Pike Place Market in Seattle is a leading example of how intentional governance can help vibrant urban spaces reach their potential as platforms for innovation."
Among the observations made by Turnbull in the interview are insights into how Pike Place fits into the evolving milieu of Seattle and how the sausage gets made (so to speak) in running the organization behind the place.
Read the full story: Q&A with John Turnbull: What Pike Place teaches us about place governance
The 5 Worst Streets in Seattle
Want to know which streets are most likely to produce a negative emotional response among Seattle transportation safety advocates? Read on.
How Setting Makes a Place: A Seattle Retrospective
Chuck Wolfe reflects on his rapidly changing hometown, arguing that Seattle’s signature location and setting—however rearranged by the regrades of the past, Freeway Park, or a pending James Corner-led waterfront remake—remains for all to see.
Visioning Edges in Cities, and the Spaces Beyond
In an inspirational essay about the undeveloped boundaries of the public domain (such as street-ends), Chuck Wolfe urges innovation in city spaces where we "blend the familiar with the edge of the unknown."
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Data reveals that NYC’s bet on congestion pricing has paid off
After almost two years of the program, reports show positive impacts on traffic and air quality and no disruptions to parking.
Denver is solving homelessness. Why aren't the rest of us?
Since 2023, Denver's street homeless population has decreased by 64%, proving that effective tools exist to support those in need of housing.
In California, electric school buses are powering 1,000 homes — and turning a profit
Tellus Power, the charging equipment manufacturer behind the project, is also helping school buses connect to the power grid in Vermont, Illinois and San Francisco.
‘No state has sacrificed more:’ Arizona joins Nevada, sues feds over Colorado River plan
The Arizona Department of Water Resources' motion claims that the state's cities, tribes and farmers can't survive without sufficient water from the Colorado River.
Permits for single-family homes have nosedived, along with investor confidence
Permits to build new single-family homes also hit a 3.5 year low in September.
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 Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority