Seattle

Victoria, British Columbia

Opinion: Bring Back the Neighborhood Corner Store

A call for zoning reforms that legalize commercial buildings in residential neighborhoods in Seattle—a building type and land use that has fallen out of favor all over the United States.

July 11, 2021 - The Seattle Times

Flood waters overwhelm a park, full of empty benches, on a sunny day.

Detroit Floods as the Pacific Northwest Bakes: It's Time to Shift the Conversation About Climate Change

The record-breaking heatwave in the Pacific Northwest has mostly been depicted in the media by kids running through fountains, but images of flooded highways and stranded vehicles in Detroit tell a more accurate story of climate change.

June 30, 2021 - Daily Detroit

Seattle

Seattle Extends Eviction Moratorium, Struggles to Distribute Rental Assistance

The city's mayor announced an extension to the city's eviction moratorium as millions in emergency rental assistance remain undisbursed.

June 29, 2021 - The Seattle Times

City Kids

The 5 Worst Streets in Seattle

Want to know which streets are most likely to produce a negative emotional response among Seattle transportation safety advocates? Read on.

June 13, 2021 - The Stanger

Mt. Rainier

2020 Population Growth Rates for the 50 Biggest U.S. Cities

The Census Bureau released new data on May 27 that includes the first four months of the pandemic. Seattle tops the growth rate at 2.2% from July 1, 2019, to July 1, 2020, while Baltimore and San Francisco land at the bottom with -1.4%.

June 4, 2021 - The Seattle Times

Downtown Seattle

I-5 Widening Kicks Off in Downtown Seattle

Congestion relief is promised as the Washington Department of Transportation begins to rework the existing I-5 roadway in Downtown Seattle to mitigate a stretch of freeway with a reputation as the state's worst bottleneck.

May 18, 2021 - The Seattle Times

Mount Rainier

Office Demand in Seattle Suddenly Back and Bigger Than Ever

The fortunes of commercial real estate in Seattle have completely reversed since February, according to a new analysis.

May 10, 2021 - The Seattle Times

Bus Stop and Bike Lane

U.S. Cities Reexamine the Discriminatory Effects of Bike Helmet Laws

Data from cities across the country show that bike helmet laws are enforced more aggressively in communities of color.

April 26, 2021 - The Guardian

Queen Anne Hill Seattle

Seattle Has a Housing Crisis, Not a Land Crisis

Like many attractive, economically successful cities Seattle has a housing crisis, but not a land crisis. There is plenty of land if the city will just grow up.

April 4, 2021 - The Urbanist

Beg Button

Seattle Recalculates Walk Signal Timing to Make Crossings Safer for Pedestrians

The new formulas for calculating the length of walk signals are designed to give people more time to safely cross the street.

April 2, 2021 - The Seattle Times

Seattle Gasworks Park

Seattle's 'Electrification Blueprint' Sets Ambitious Goals

The city's new transportation plan focuses on eliminating carbon emissions in its transportation sector, reducing congestion, and boosting public transit.

March 25, 2021 - The Seattle Times

Victoria, British Columbia

Home-Based Businesses Could Save the Post-Pandemic Economy

Seattle's city council considers reducing 'arbitrary' and 'exclusionary' limits on home-based businesses.

March 8, 2021 - The Urbanist

School Drop Off

Opinion: Stop Paving Seattle Playgrounds for Parking Lots

Seattle schools are often forced to reduce their playground space in favor of parking and circulation for private cars, but altering the city code could change that.

March 5, 2021 - The Urbanist

Brick Apartments

The Need for Social Housing in Seattle

Seattle trails international peer cities in its social housing stock, but there are steps city leaders can take to produce more units and increase affordability.

March 3, 2021 - The Urbanist

Seattle, Washington

Study Calls Seattle Nation's 'Most Economically Integrated' City

A study of real estate values in Seattle found that townhomes have helped diversify neighborhoods and increase affordability.

February 24, 2021 - KUOW

Aerial of Wallingford, Seattle circa 1969

Historic Preservation as a Tool of Exclusion

The push for historic preservation districts often amounts to exclusionary zoning that exacerbates the housing affordability crisis.

February 14, 2021 - The Urbanist

Seattle Construction

Seattle Limits Natural Gas in New Construction

More cities are banning the use of natural gas in new buildings. Seattle is the latest example.

February 11, 2021 - The Seattle Times

Freeway park over I-5

I-5 Study Shows Benefits of Capping Urban Freeways

Putting a lid on the interstate through downtown Seattle could create new space for parks and housing, reduce pollution, and reconnect the disrupted street grid.

February 8, 2021 - The Urbanist

Seattle Protected Bike Lane

Bike and Pedestrian Improvements Proposed for Seattle Light Rail Stations

Anticipating the opening of two new stations in 2024, the Seattle Department of Transportation released a study prioritizing bike infrastructure in the surrounding areas.

January 25, 2021 - Seattle Bike Blog

Adams Morgan pedestrian zone during COVID-19 pandemic

The Slow Streets Reckoning

Slow streets programs provided a quick short-term solution and paved the way for some permanent street closures and realignments. Now, these programs are getting a second look as community groups react to the changes.

January 19, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

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.