Seattle

Sound Transit to Start Enforcing Fare Violations This Month
After two warnings, riders who fail to show proof of payment can be issued fines.

Opinion: Voters Deserve to See the Draft ‘One Seattle’ Plan
Despite a promise to release a draft comprehensive plan update in April and with elections in less than a week, Seattle residents are still waiting to see the city’s proposal for how to guide development in the next decades.

Seattle Needs More Railcars
Sound Transit needs more cars to accommodate its ridership, particularly during special events and peak times.

Pike Place Market Vendors Open to Pedestrianization
A survey of local business owners and vendors upends the common belief that frontline workers don’t support restricting vehicle access to the iconic Seattle market.

Seattle Introduces Electric Bike Lane Sweeper
The city will test the efficacy and durability of an electric bike lane sweeper during a six-month pilot program.

Seattle Passes Downtown Zoning Reforms
The changes, part of the mayor’s Downtown Activation Plan, make way for more residential development in the city’s downtown core.

Could an ‘Urban Innovation Lab’ Spur Downtown Revitalization?
In his fifth article for GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe asks whether an onsite “living lab” could spur more entrepreneurship and impact downtown regeneration in Seattle.

Proposal Could Mandate Sidewalks as Part of Seattle Complete Streets
Almost a third of the city’s neighborhood streets lack sidewalks.

Transportation Impact Fee Proposal Resurfaces in Seattle
Charging developers for improving local infrastructure impacted by their projects could boost transportation revenue, but permit applications in the city are slowing down.

Seattle Releases Draft 20-Year Transportation Plan
The draft Seattle Transportation Plan proposes an ambitious agenda for the next 20 years of transportation planning in the city of Seattle.

Cascadia High-Speed Rail Corridor Seeking Federal Funding
The state of Washington is hoping federal infrastructure funding can pay for $198 million of the $348 million necessary to plan the Cascadia High-Speed Rail project.

Seattle To Expand Traffic Camera Program
The new cameras are designed to reduce travel time for buses and limit speeding at dangerous intersections.

Feasibility Study for Proposed Seattle Streetcar Loses Funding
The $1 million cut doesn’t bode well for the beleaguered project, which some city councilmembers see as redundant and overpriced.

Seattle Quietly Unveils New Interstate Lane
The Washington Department of Transportation expanded part of I-5 in hopes of reducing a common traffic bottleneck.

Opinion: Form-Based Codes Could Harm Seattle’s Housing Affordability
Form-based zoning codes can encourage mixed-use development and walkable neighborhoods, but focusing too much on aesthetic elements can drive up the cost of housing.

AI and Downtown Recovery: Missing the Mark in Seattle?
In his fourth GeekWire article on downtown recovery, Chuck Wolfe reviews the use of AI imagery in a section of the Seattle Downtown Activation Plan and suggests how it may have missed the mark.

Seattle Sweep of Unhoused Encampments Draws Criticism
The city denies that the timing of clearing a camp populated by unhoused residents was related to the upcoming MLB All-Star Game.

Opinion: Lower Rents Will Give Downtown Spaces Back to the ‘Weirdos’
Introducing the “CBGB theory of city planning.”

King County Metro to Cut Bus Service
With hundreds of buses out of service and a mechanic shortage delaying repairs and maintenance, Seattle area bus riders will see significantly reduced service this summer.

Revisiting ‘Third Places’ as a Pandemic Recovery Tool
In Chuck Wolfe's latest piece on downtown recovery for GeekWire, he proposes revisiting a multifaceted ‘third place’ agenda as a focus for downtown recovery.
Pagination
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service