For a long time now, rent control hasn't been an option to control housing prices in Washington state. Whether rent control works is another question entirely.
For those who weren't aware, "rent control has been illegal in Washington state since 1981, when the state Legislature passed a law forbidding cities and towns in the state from regulating the residential rents changed by landlords."
Amy Rolph tells us how national politics affected the contentious local fight. "The proposal appeared on the same ballot as presidential candidate Ronald Reagan, who rallied conservative voters and ushered in a wave of deregulation that would last for years."
As Seattle prices rise, some are calling for a repeal. "But repeal efforts have failed to gain traction. Critics point to mounting evidence that rent control is a flawed system — landlords evicting tenants in San Francisco and the high cost of unregulated units in New York, for starters."
FULL STORY: Rent control is illegal in Seattle. Here’s why
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