Washington
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?
The Seattle Times
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.
The New York Times
The Urbanist details on of the big bus rapid transit routes on the table in Seattle.
The Urbanist
A city grappling with a homeless crisis might rethink its spending habits.
The Stranger
A public hearing offers a chance to analyze the zoning changes proposed by the "Metro Everett" downtown plan.
The Urbanist
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) don't just help mitigate housing supply and affordability issues, they also offer significant sustainability benefits.
Sightline Institute
Feature
An interview with Seattle Planning Director Sam Assefa for the latest installment of the "Planners Across America" series.
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.
GeekWire
The U.S. has become a "landlord nation," says Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman. His analysis: fiercely-defended restrictive local zoning laws have cut off supply, dividing those who own from those who rent.
GeekWire
The new guidelines will allow for new design decisions in a neighborhood undergoing rapid change.
Capitol Hill Seattle Blog
Homeless villages aren't hotbeds of crime, according to recent analysis. Rather, they can be part of a "crime prevention ecosystem."
The Guardian
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.
The Urbanist
Proponents of a new Accessory Dwelling Unit rule in Seattle say the tactics of opponents backfired with this Environmental Impact Study.
Sightline Institute
A federal grant will allow Sound Transit to double the length of Tacoma's light rail system.
Federal Transit Administration
The Pacific Northwest's Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area is studying options to add congestion pricing to one or two interstates.
The Oregonian
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.
Crosscut
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.
The Urbanist
Sound Transit is hard at work with a busy planning schedule for several light rail projects in the Tacoma area. A post on The Urbanist focuses on the scoping project for the Tacoma Dome Link extension.
The Urbanist
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.
The Seattle Times
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."
The New York Times
