Puget Sound

View of downtown Seattle across a body of water with colorful houses in the foreground

Report Links Zoning and Land Use to Structural Racism

The historically comprehensive study outlines the policies that have shaped homeownership, generational wealth, and economic development in the Puget Sound region.

August 4, 2023 - The Urbanist

Aerial view of waterfront houses in Seattle, Washington

How Zoning Changes Could Boost Housing Supply in Seattle

The Puget Sound region could benefit from zoning tweaks that would encourage more transit-oriented development and ‘gentle’ density increases, new research finds.

January 9, 2023 - Urban Institute

Interstate 5 in Shoreline, WA

Shoreline Plans for Road Expansion

Added traffic lanes, new roundabouts, and limited bike facilities are coming to N 145th Street.

March 14, 2022 - The Seattle Medium

Single-Family Neighborhood

Ultra-Competitive Housing Market Shows No Signs of Slowing

Home prices in the Puget Sound region continue to skyrocket as buyers engage in intense bidding wars and demand continues to outpace supply.

March 11, 2022 - MyNorthwest

Puget Sound

Puget Sound Transportation Plan Fails To Meet Emissions Goals

A draft regional transportation plan for the Puget Sound region does not go far enough to significantly reduce emissions and meet climate goals.

December 12, 2021 - The Urbanist

Mount Rainier

How Tacoma Can Build More Equitable Transit

Advocates are calling for a 0.1 percent sales tax increase that could fund improved service and lower fares for the city's struggling transit system.

November 16, 2021 - The Urbanist

Seattle, Washington

New Long-Term Regional Plan for Puget Sound Approved

The regional planning organization for the four-county area around Puget Sound has adopted a new long-term plan for the future.

November 8, 2020 - The Urbanist

A ferry boat returns to Seattle

Washington State to Transition to Battery Electric Ferries

Washington's largest diesel emissions polluter will transition its fleet to diesel-hybrids and then to battery-electric propulsion to comply with Gov. Inslee's emissions-reduction executive order which will also please the orcas in Puget Sound.

December 29, 2019 - Greentech Media

Tacoma Washington

Election 2019: Devastating Transportation Funding Loss in Pacific Northwest

Washington voters' approval of Initiative 976, which put a limit on car tab increases as well as repealing many motor vehicle fees, will have far-reaching consequences for funding road maintenance, transit, and bike and pedestrian projects.

November 9, 2019 - The Seattle Times

Sound Transit

Puget Sound Travel Survey Highlights What's Influencing Region’s Travelers

The 2017 survey shows that most people drive, but income and housing location also affect people’s options and choices.

April 28, 2019 - The Urbanist

Highway 520

Planning for 1.8 Million New Residents Around Puget Sound

The state of Washington's 1990 Growth Management Act requires regions to create long-range growth plans. The Puget Sound Region Council is currently working on its latest iteration of the plan.

March 29, 2019 - Crosscut

Washington State Ferry

Washington Ferry Ridership Continues to Grow

The state's ferry system has seen ridership increases year after year, and a new plan outlines the long-range measures needed to keep up with the growth.

February 13, 2019 - The Urbanist

Orca in Washington

Washington State Budget Makes Puget Sound Orcas a Priority

Southern Resident orca numbers are distressingly low. The proposed budget would fund a number of measures to help the whales.

January 4, 2019 - Crosscut

Water Treatment

San Diego Water Recycling Project Receives Critical EPA Loan

One of the nation's most ambitious attempts to recycle wastewater into potable water received a huge lift last month from the EPA with the receipt of a $164 million loan under the now-permanent Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act.

December 15, 2018 - City of San Diego News Release

Getting the Politics of Cordon Tolling Right

With Mayor Jenny Durkan's announcement that Seattle will pursue cordon area congestion pricing coming five days after New York dropped its plan, a Washington State pro-business publication looks at the difficulties in getting the politics right.

April 20, 2018 - Lens

Freeway

Debating the Puget Sound Regional Transportation Plan

The Puget Sound Regional Council's recently released "Regional Transportation Plan – 2018" has inspired debate about how the region should plan for growth.

January 25, 2018 - The Urbanist

Puget Sound

Waterborne Transit Ridership Growing Around Seattle, Too

More than buses and trains are doing well in the Seattle region. Ridership on the state system of ferries has also climbed steadily in recent years.

January 23, 2018 - The Urbanist

Los Angeles Metro

Successful Ballot Measures Spell Doom for Transit Funding in Trump's 2018 Budget

President Trump points to the passage of multi-billion ballot measures last November as proof that federal funding isn't needed to fund transit, justifying elimination of a major grants program. The CEOs of two large transit agencies fight back.

May 30, 2017 - The Source

Seattle Streetcar

Seattle's HUGE Transit Victory on Election Day

In dollars, Seattle region's Proposition 1 was second only to Measure M, a $120 billion sales tax measure in Los Angeles County, although the comparison is lacking in at least three respects. Prop 1 did not pass in all three Puget Sound counties.

November 21, 2016 - The Seattle Times

Seattle to Rely on Green Stormwater Infrastructure

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray has released a draft plan to overhaul the city's stormwater infrastructure to reduce the pollution levels in Puget Sound.

August 4, 2015 - WaterWorld

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.