Washington
*New Amtrak Train Derails On Highway Overpass Outside of Seattle, Killing 3
The first southbound train on of the newly routed Amtrak Cascades Seattle-to-Portland service derailed on a highway overpass on Monday morning, with two passenger cars falling onto southbound Interstate 5, striking motor vehicles.
Forget 'Smart'—We Need 'Context Cities'
Frequent Planetizen contributor Charles R. Wolfe reflects on reconciling global forces and local context in cities across three continents.
More Buses Will Travel on the Shoulder to Skip Traffic in Seattle
Soon, Sound Transit buses will start traveling on the shoulder to skip a perpetually congested stretch of I-5. Over a dozen Sound Transit and Community Transit express routes operate on the 2.5-mile stretch.
When Rents Rise But Wages Don't
Renters in smaller metropolitan areas are struggling to deal with the realities of rising rent and stagnant wages. At least wages have increased in high-priced areas.
Census: Seattle Quickly Ascending the Ranks of Most Expensive Cities to Rent
New American Community Survey Data reveals the cities where renters are paying the most.
House Bill Would Streamline Construction of New Dams and Reservoirs
House Republicans from Washington are hoping to cut red tape for the development of surface storage facilities as the American West grapples with intensifying droughts.
Youth Fare Discount Sees Results in Seattle
Many high school and grade school students in Seattle have been riding the city's Metro for free during the school year, now to encourage ridership during the summer, the city has been offering steep discounts for riders between 6-18 years old.
Showdown in Seattle: Should Developers Forgo Parking?
A mixed-use project in Seattle's Phinney Ridge neighborhood has become a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over parking. Activists are fighting rules that let developers omit parking in areas with a certain level of transit service.
Ranking Seattle's Transit Lines
With plans for expansions and realignment in the works, Sound Transit recently ranked the performance of the routes and corridors throughout the bus and light rail transit system.
Editorial: Congress Should Extend, Not End, Tax Exempt Bonds for Affordable Housing
The Seattle Times says there could be no worse time than right now to repeal tax exempt bonds that help finance affordable housing.
Affordable Housing Near Transit: Seattle's REDI Makes Its First Loan
For a city in the middle of a rent crisis, the Tacoma Housing Authority project can't come too soon.
Op-Ed: Washington's State Environmental Policy Act 'Off the Rails' in Cities
Drawing on a slew of examples, Dan Bertolet argues that Washington's State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) has been co-opted in ways that run against its original purpose: protecting the environment.
Spokane Considers Tax Incentive to Redevelop Downtown Parking Lots
It's an idea that has already had some success in Philadelphia: give developers a tax abatement on projects that achieve some desired end, in this case fewer surface parking lots.
Mandatory Housing Affordability Details Released in Seattle
Seattle has released the long-awaited environmental impact statement for the Mandatory Housing Affordability program—a final step in the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda process launched by former Mayor Ed Murray.
Evaluating Two Years of Transit Investment in Seattle
Two funding sources for transit investments approved by Seattle voters in 2014 are paying dividends in 2017 in the form of improved, expanded service.
White House Denies Funding to Replace Tribal Villages
The federal government appears to be reneging on yet another promise to Native American tribes.
Washington Gets Its Marine Spatial Plan
The Pacific Northwest's competing and sometimes conflicting stakeholders have created a master plan for the use—and also the preservation—of marine resources.
Revisiting Single-Family Zoning After a Political Setback
Few cities have gone so far in considering drastic changes to single-family zoning as Seattle did in 2015. Still, the discussion about single-family zoning would have to go a lot further to turn into meaningful reform.
Three Congressional Bills Respond to Western Wildfires
Two GOP bills and one bipartisan Senate bill hope to reduce the wildfire risk in the West. The "Wildfires Management Act of 2017" is sponsored by the two Republican senators of Idaho and three of the four Democratic senators of Washington and Oregon.
Livability Standards Have Arrived in the Pacific Northwest
The city of Bellevue, Washington has adopted new zoning and land use standards as part of an ongoing Downtown Livability Initiative.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
