Pacific Northwest

A hypothetical map of the state of Idaho, expanded by annexing a large portion fo Oregon. The map is emblazoned with the words “Greater Idaho.”

The Nation's Most Advanced Secessionist Movement

Legislation supporting the Greater Idaho Movement, which would annex over half of neighboring Oregon, has advanced in the Idaho legislature.

March 22, 2023 - FOX News

Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station

Bill Gates' Nuclear Power Company Takes Giant Step in Cowboy State

A Wyoming coal power plant will be transformed by a company backed by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to run on nuclear power. With the signing of the bipartisan infrastructure act, $1.5 billion will help produce zero-emission power by 2028

November 24, 2021 - CNBC

 on I84 in Northern Oregon…one hand on the wheel and one on the shutter, at 75 mph

In Extreme Heat Waves, Cities Need 'Social Resilience' to Help the Most Vulnerable

This summer's heat waves wreaked havoc on physical infrastructure, but also highlighted vulnerabilities in our social support systems.

July 30, 2021 - The Washington Post

Japan High Speed Rail

WSDOT Report Outlines Plan for Cascadia High-Speed Rail

A regional high-speed rail network could be coming to the Pacific Northwest, linking cities from Oregon to British Columbia.

December 31, 2020 - The Urbanist

Timber Production

Seattle Could Be at the Forefront of the Mass Timber Industry

Cross-laminated timber offers a multitude of environmental and economic benefits. With the state’s resources and Seattle’s construction needs, the city is the ideal location for mass timber production to take off.

February 25, 2019 - The Urbanist

Washington

Mapping the Pacific Northwest's Changing Population

The Oregonian has published a new interactive mapping feature that allows users to map demographic changes to the Census tract level through Oregon and Washington.

December 7, 2018 - The Oregonian

Pacific Northwest Shipping

Pacific Northwest Gears Up for Another Fossil Fuel Export Fight

Just two years after killing what would be the world's largest methanol plant at the Port of Tacoma, the project has reemerged at the Port of Kalama. According to the EIS for the plant, global CO2 emissions will be reduced, though increased locally.

November 19, 2018 - The Daily News

Spokane, Washington

No West Coast Climate Bloc

Had election results proved favorable in Oregon and Washington, UC Berkley Law Climate Program Director Ethan Elkind suggested that the two states could join California to form a West Coast Climate Bloc. Oregon came through, but not Washington.

November 7, 2018 - Ethan Elkind

Twin Peaks

Even in the Pacific Northwest, Developments Conflict With Water

The Seattle region would seem to have plenty of water to go around. That doesn't mean there aren't environmental consequences for more development.

June 25, 2018 - KUOW

Seattle

Regional Planning for Growth on Display in the Pacific Northwest

The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) released a new "Regional Centers Framework."

April 16, 2018 - The Urbanist

Pacific NW States to Study Regional High-Speed Rail

The proposal promises a one-hour commute between Vancouver and Seattle.

March 25, 2018 - The Urbanist

Frank Lloyd Wright Oak Park

National or Regional? Finding American Identity in Architecture

In an extended discussion, Keith Eggener examines what it means for a work of architecture to be "naturally" American, and why looking at modern American styles through an intensively regional lens may be unhelpful.

September 15, 2017 - Places Journal

Oregon Voters Support LNG Export Facility

A proposed $7.5 billion facility to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Oregon's south coast received a resounding vote of support on Tuesday from Coos County voters who rejected a ballot measure that would have banned its construction.

May 18, 2017 - Oregon Public Broadcasting

Pacific Northwest

A New Earthquake Warning System for the Pacific Northwest

Oregon and Washington are implementing sensors that can detect and report an earthquake to communities with as much as a minute or two of warning.

April 11, 2017 - KUOW

The Scary, Likely Event of the 'Really Big One' in the Pacific Northwest

Forget Hollywood's proclivity for destroying Los Angeles and San Francisco in movies like San Andreas—the greatest seismic threat in North America is in the Pacific Northwest.

July 16, 2015 - The New Yorker

From Bedroom Communities to Jet Engine Communities

More and more people working in the San Francisco Bay Area are opting for cheaper housing outside the region. Some are going way outside the region, commuting by airplane from Portland or Seattle.

April 22, 2010 - The Wall Street Journal

A Region-by-Region Look at "Shovel-Readiness"

NPR looks at a few of the areas that have submitted proposals for high-speed rail funding.

September 8, 2009 - National Public Radio

A Crowded Future for the Pacific Northwest

Population growth estimates foresee the equivalent of an additional 15 Seattles concentrating in the Pacific Northwest over the next one hundred years. How the region handles this growth is up for debate, but with a distinct sense of urgency.

February 24, 2009 - The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Revisiting the Future of Ecotopia

Ecotopia is a '70s cult novel that imagines a future where the Pacific Northwest secedes from the U.S. to become an environmentally-conscious utopian state. The NY Times reflects on the influence of this under-recognized novel.

December 25, 2008 - The New York Times

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Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

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The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.