Seattle
Parsing San Diego's Misguided Waterfront Plans
As Seattle considers ways to improve its waterfront, local architect and urban planner Mark Hinshaw evaluates a conflict brewing 1,250 miles to the south, for a lesson on what not to do with valuable downtown waterfront real estate.
Preserving Transit-Oriented Affordable Housing
As developers across the country increasingly recognize the market advantages of redevelopment oriented around transit, and property values rise in response, hundreds of thousands of units of affordable housing are at risk.
Highway Removals to Become More Difficult
Following highly publicized urban highway removal success stories like Boston's Big Dig and San Francisco's Embarcadero, Anthony Flint asks whether similar successes will be easy to duplicate.
Sharrow Backlash - Are They Working?
Proliferating faster than bike lanes or bike parking racks may be the chevron symbols in the pavement with bicycle icon informing cyclists and motorists alike to "share the road". But can too many sharrows be a bad thing, asks Grist's Elly Blue.
"Streetless In Seattle" Policy Polarizes Citizens
Ethan Epstein chronicles the work of Seattle's mayor, Mike McGinn, who won office in 2009 from established candidates and a powerful incumbent on a "philosophically anti-car" base.
Seattle May Revise Bike Plan, Already
Mike Linbom cites the popularity of greenways for why the city is considering spending $100,000 more than the original plan's cost to update it, after just four years.
Nations Largest and Most Expensive Expansion Program
Seattle's East Link light rail extension project is said to be completed in 2023 and will attract about 50,000 riders a day, says Yonah Freemark. In addition, the city council wants a section of the line to be tunneled under Downtown Bellevue.
In Seattle, Feelings are Mixed on Extra Perks for "Ultra-Green" Building Standards
Under the "living building" pilot program, a handful of developments get to bypass the usual zoning for sticking to some of the most stringent building standards in the world. But one developer wants an additional 10 feet of height for it.
More Streetcars for Seattle?
An upcoming ballot measure will create $204 million for new transit. The most controversial part of the measure would be an allotment for planning and and possibly building a new streetcar line.
"Living Building" Vision Comes to Life
In a bold move to secure its place as the bastion of sustainability, Seattle sets out to build a series of the "greenest commercial building on earth."
Seattle's South Lake Union a Jobs Bonanza
When city leaders proposed redeveloping the South Lake Union area of Seattle, they made big promises for job growth. Just a few years in, their expectations have already been exceeded.
Reconsidering the Urban Alley
Alyse Nelson takes a look at a handful of alleys that were transformed from crusty dumping grounds into beautiful urban spaces.
Seattle Land Use Code Book Review: Do It Over
Roger Valdez set out to read and review the entire land use code of the city of Seattle. Now that he's done, he says it's time to rewrite the whole thing.
Tunnel Wins Vote in Seattle
A long simmering debate over how to deal with a damaged inner city freeway has seemingly found a conclusion as voters in Seattle have approved a plan to begin work on replacing the freeway with a tunnel.
Seattle to Eliminate Downtown Ride Free Area
A recent "political compromise" forces Metro to phase out the City's highly popular free bus service that serves over 10 million riders per year.
Seattle Plays a Zero-Sum Emissions Game
Aspiring to become carbon-neutral by 2050, the Emerald City commits to an ambitious plan that relies on a 10% purchase of carbon offsets.
Neighborhood Sustainability the Focus of New Code Ideas in Seattle
A set of recommendations for changes to land-use regulations in Seattle is being highlighted by Mayor Mike McGinn as a way to both create sustainable neighborhoods and jobs. One of the authors of the recommendations explains.
More In My Back Yard
MIMBYs? Seattle plans to build a one-story light-rail station in the Roosevelt neighborhood's commercial district, but locals are fighting for greater density and reducing zoning restrictions on the site.
The Uneasy Transition in Post-Recession Seattle
While some have pigeonholed him as anti-business, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn is taking the city through the recovery of the economy in a positive but potentially hard-to-swallow way, according to this column.
Injured Cyclists Team Up to Fund Fix for Heavy Accident Area
An accident-prone section of bike path in Seattle has prompted dozens of lawsuits and resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments to injured cyclists. Now the cyclists themselves are trying to fix the infrastructural problem.
Pagination
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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