Seattle
Dueling Proposals to Save Bus Service in Seattle
After a resounding defeat to Proposition 1, a countywide measure that would have raised fees and taxes to address an ongoing budget deficit at King County Metro Transit, Seattle is scrambling to find the money to preserve local bus routes.
Preserving Seattle's 'Ramps to Nowhere' as a Monument to Activists
Seattle Councilmember Jean Godden provides a history lesson and a call to action in an op-ed about the fate of a pair of "ramps to nowhere"—leftovers from the never-built R. H. Thomson freeway and, Godden argues, a monument to the "Seattle Process."
Washington State Developing Best Practices to Address Sea-Level Rise
Acknowledging that rising sea levels are a major concern for waterfront cities in Washington, the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) non-profit put together a review of the current policy and planning efforts to meet the challenge.
Seattle's New Council Election Format; Revisiting the 'Neighborhood Movement'
Starting in 2015, seven of the nine seats on the Seattle City Council will be elected by district. The new system has inspired some to rethink the city's neighborhood district council system.
New Seattle Bus Funding Initiative Addresses City-Suburb Split
It's a pattern seen as recently as two years ago in metro Atlanta: a crucial transit measure wins in the central city but dies in the more populous suburbs. The fix is to craft a city-only transit initiative—just what advocates in Seattle will do.
Seattle Area Voters Resoundingly Reject Transit Initiative
With 55 per cent of the vote, King County voters on April 22 opposed increasing their sales tax by one-tenth of one per cent and increasing an annual auto registration fee by $60. 72 Metro Transit bus routes will be eliminated.
Seattle’s Capitol Hill Light Rail Attracting TOD Attention
Sound Transit released a request for qualifications to build a 100,000-square-foot mixed-use TOD at the forthcoming Capitol Hill light rail station. Fourteen interested developers responded.
Seattle’s Cap on Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar Rescinded by Referendum
After Seattle Citizens to Repeal Ordinance 124441 acquired twice the necessary number of signatures necessary to send a March ordinance capping the number of Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar drivers in the city, the mayor will negotiate with the companies.
Seattle Adopts New Bicycle Master Plan
Resolution 31515, which officially approved the Bicycle Master Plan, is called a “transformational new way of thinking about bicycle projects within Seattle.” Time, and funding, will tell if the plan lives up to its promise.
Debating Proposition 1: Funding Transit in Seattle’s King County
“Vote no on Proposition 1, and send King County government a message that Metro has more work to do on righting its cost structure before asking voters for more revenue,” says an editorial from the Seattle Times.
Seattle Updating Zoning Regulations for Small Single-Family Lots
Planners in Seattle have responded to controversy over the size and scale of development on small lots in many of the city's single-family neighborhoods, with a new set of zoning regulations.
Seattle Caps Number of Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar Drivers
Seattle is the first city in the country to limit the number of transportation network drivers allowed on the road at any given moment. The new regulation is a setback for companies like Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar and a major victory for cab companies.
Checking in on Seattle's Ambitious Waterfront Park Plans
A recent article by Bill Lucia explains the reasons to be cautiously optimistic about a proposed park that will replace a demolished Alaskan Viaduct on Seattle’s waterfront.
Seattle's Bell Street Park Is a Pedestrian Friendly Dream
The newly opened Bell Street Park in Seattle offers the kind of "social friction" Leigh Gallagher called for in Friday's NYT with "planters, perches ... and the simplest but most innovative feature of all, a level plane between sidewalk and street."
Taxis v. Uber: A Regulatory Update
Are rideshare companies like Uber here to stay? The answer likely hinges on a series of legal battles taking place nationwide.
Seattle's Growth Patterns Buck Century-Long Trend
According to Census data, the city of Seattle's population is growing faster than its King County suburbs—for the first time since 1910.
Forget Sunk Cost—What's the Best Way to Spend Bertha's Remaining Funds?
Seattle’s massive highway tunneling project delays while solutions are sought for the mechanical error that brought the project’s massive drilling machine, Bertha, to a halt. Some are starting to examine life after Bertha.
Placemaking Lessons Learned from Seattle's Super Bowl Parade
Last Wednesday, an estimated 700,000—more than the city's population of 635,000—welcomed the Seahawks home, without major incident. Writing in The Atlantic Cities, Chuck Wolfe describes five lessons for placemaking through words and photographs.
Seattle Looks to Data Centers for Heat, Hot Water
Seattle’s Office of Sustainability & Environment (OSE) is looking to an unusual source for energy: the area’s data centers.
With Bertha Stuck in the Mud, Officials Question Contractor Conduct
Though Seattle's giant tunneling machine remains stuck 60 feet under South Main Street, muck is starting to be flung above the surface. An email from Washington's Transportation Secretary reveals concerns over the conduct of the machine's operators.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
