Seattle

Seattle

5 Ideas for Getting Cars Off the Road in Seattle

The Seattle Department of Transportation is searching for ways to remove 3,000 cars from the roads every day.

July 6, 2018 - Crosscut

South Lake Union

Seattle Landlords Scrambling to Fill Growing Number of Empty Apartments

Vacancy rates are up to 7.5 percent in greater Seattle, and many landlords are offering deals like a month's free rent.

July 1, 2018 - The Seattle Times

King County Metro Transit

Seattle Ready to Give Free Transit Passes to All High School Students

About 16,000 Seattle students would get free transit passes when school starts again in the fall under a plan approved by the Seattle City Council yesterday.

June 26, 2018 - Seattle Times

Seattle, Washington

The 'Head Tax' Failed in Seattle; Cities Still Want the Tax to Support Housing, Transit

If your city was home to some of the wealthiest, largest companies in the country, would you tax them to raise money for more housing and transit service?

June 13, 2018 - The Seattle Times

Subway Turnstiles

Means-Based, Transit-Fare Discounts Take a Leap Forward in the Big Apple

The 2019 New York City budget includes $106 million to subsidize half the transit fare for qualified residents for six months. The city joins the ranks of Seattle, Toronto, and the Bay Area that offer income-based discounts for transit fares.

June 13, 2018 - The New York Times

Seattle Transit Planning

Big BRT Plans Underway in Seattle and Environs

The Urbanist details on of the big bus rapid transit routes on the table in Seattle.

June 11, 2018 - The Urbanist

Seattle Mariners

Critics Pounce on $190 Million Proposed for Seattle Mariners Stadium Support

A city grappling with a homeless crisis might rethink its spending habits.

June 10, 2018 - The Stranger

Don't Forget the Green Benefits of Accessory Dwelling Units

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) don't just help mitigate housing supply and affordability issues, they also offer significant sustainability benefits.

June 6, 2018 - Sightline Institute

Seattle

Seattle Planning Director Pursues Equity Amid a Pro-Growth Agenda

An interview with Seattle Planning Director Sam Assefa for the latest installment of the "Planners Across America" series.

June 4, 2018 - Josh Stephens

Seattle, Elevated Highway

Setting the Toll for New Seattle Tunnel

The Washington State Transportation Commission has begun the planning process to determine the toll schedule for the tunnel that replaces part of the Alaskan Way Viaduct that opens this fall. They must raise six percent of the $3.3 billion cost.

May 31, 2018 - GeekWire

Washington

Seattle's Popular Capitol Hill Neighborhood Getting New Design Guidelines

The new guidelines will allow for new design decisions in a neighborhood undergoing rapid change.

May 30, 2018 - Capitol Hill Seattle Blog

Homeless Encampment

Analysis: Homeless Villages Don't Spur Crime

Homeless villages aren't hotbeds of crime, according to recent analysis. Rather, they can be part of a "crime prevention ecosystem."

May 29, 2018 - The Guardian

Seattle

Seattle Revamping its Tree Ordinance

A recent study found that Seattle's tree coverage shrank from 2010-2015, but the city has a goal to cover 30 percent of the city with trees by 2037.

May 25, 2018 - The Urbanist

Accessory Dwelling Unit

Environmental Impact Study Builds the Case for Accessory Dwelling Units in Seattle

Proponents of a new Accessory Dwelling Unit rule in Seattle say the tactics of opponents backfired with this Environmental Impact Study.

May 24, 2018 - Sightline Institute

Seattle Homeless

The Cost of Solving Homelessness in Seattle: $400 Million

It’s "dramatically higher" than any number under discussion, and not even close to what the city will raise with its new tax on large businesses.

May 17, 2018 - Crosscut

Seattle, Washington

Seattle Reaches Compromise on Controversial Tax for Affordable Housing

The Seattle City Council, prompted by pressure from Mayor Jenny Durkan, approved a smaller version of the "Head Tax" that provoked the ire of Amazon.

May 15, 2018 - The Urbanist

Seattle Victorian

Zoned Out: Seattle Prioritizes Single-Family Residential

In Seattle, most (88 percent) of the city's new housing is being developed in a few small, already dense areas around the city. Most of the city is reserved for single-family housing.

May 7, 2018 - The Seattle Times

Seattle, Washington

Amazon, Seattle Go to War Over Proposed Tax

Amazon, a company with cities throwing money at its feet all over the country, has decided to halt construction on an expansion in its hometown over a proposed "head tax."

May 5, 2018 - The New York Times

Delay Sign

Op-Ed: 'Public Mood' Has Turned Against Cars in Cities

A survey of recent planning decisions demonstrates that cities are no longer necessarily looking to more and bigger highways to solve their traffic problems.

May 4, 2018 - The New York Times

Seattle Transit

Sound Transit Plan Includes 43 Miles of Bus Rapid Transit for Greater Seattle

Bus Rapid Transit along I-405 and SR-522 will b completed by 2024 if plan is approved and built on schedule.

May 3, 2018 - Bothell Kenmore Reporter

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.

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.