Washington

Amazon Makes Seattle the Nation's Biggest Company Town
The company town seems like a relic of a previous era of American industry, but Amazon and Seattle are redefining the concept.

Seattle Bikeshare: From Failure to Success in Less Than Six Months
News of the demise of the Pronto! bikeshare system in Seattle broke in February, but by the end of the year, the city is expected to have the U.S.'s largest bikeshare network.

Bellevue, Washington Could Put a 'Lid' on its Freeway
The idea is still very preliminary, but the city of Bellevue, Washington is circulating a plan that could create a freeway cap park spanning the I-405 freeway as a component of a new bike and pedestrian path.

Housing Construction in Seattle and Vancouver a Study in Contrasts
Planning is only one ingredient of the cocktail that produces new housing, but planning should bear in mind all the other factors influencing the process. Vancouver and Seattle provide case studies and sharp contrasts in housing outcomes.

The Most Effective Way to Reduce Employee Driving
The single most effective way a major employer in Seattle found to reduce solo driving was to charge employees for parking, but ruling-out monthly permits. An innovative method was adopted to charge workers on a daily basis
Edmonds, Washington Planning for a More Urban Future
The city of Edmonds, located to the north of Seattle, is putting the finishing touches on a plan that would increase heights in an urban district along State Route 99.
Late Buses Threaten Seattle Micro-Unit Development—Guess Why
An approved, 55 micro-unit, mixed-use development with no parking sited on a transit corridor with 15-minute headways has been halted by a legal ruling after neighborhood opponents proved the bus was not meeting its schedule.

New Levels of Car Dependence Follow Seattle's Growth
By any measure, Seattle is growing at a breakneck pace. But with those new residents come cars, and all the infrastructure and land use inefficiencies they bring.
Court Decision Forces Seattle to Improve Sidewalk Infrastructure
The city of Seattle has finally been compelled to maintain pedestrian infrastructure in keeping with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Seattle Considers Licensing and Fees for Cyclists
Many argue that bikes save cities millions by lessening pollution, improving public health, and opening up space that would otherwise be taken by cars and parking, but some counter it's too hard to ticket bikers when they don't have licenses.

Comparing the World's Urban Tree Canopies
Seattle provides plenty of shade for residents to enjoy in the summer months.

The Poetic Grid Maps the Lyrics of Place
There's only one requirement to qualify for Seattle's Poetic Grid project: write a poem about a specific place.

Trump Budget Would Nix Tsunami Warning System
The difference in lives saved between tsunamis that hit Crescent City, California in 1964 and 2011 was an early detection and warning system. Now it's up to Congress to save the $12 million system from the proposed cuts in Trump's budget.

University of Washington's Campus Master Plan Gets Pushback on Equity Issues
The Campaign For Responsible UW is hoping to push for additional changes to a finalized version of a master plan for the University of Washington's Seattle campus before the city can approve it.

Tacoma Relocates Homeless Residents to City-Owned Encampment
Tacoma, Washington is attempting to approach homeless encampments from a public health perspective.

Hidden Crisis: Homelessness on the Reservation
Poverty and evictions among Native Americans are an underreported part of the national homelessness crisis. Often, homeless families stay as long as they can in the dwellings of family and friends.

Changes in Store for Seattle's Design Review Program
Seattle's Design Review Program, in place since 1994, could see substantive changes in the near future.

Seattle Experiments With Fence-Free Sidewalk Cafés
Sidewalk-adjacent eating spaces generally separate diners from pedestrians. By using markers instead of fences, some Seattle eateries are opening their dining areas to the street.

Seattle Tackling Equity Challenges With Global Lens
Seattle is faced with an affordable housing crisis that has led the new Planning & Community Development Director Sam Assefa to look globally for solutions.

Black Home Ownership Rates in Seattle's King County Continue to Shrink
King County, Washington was once home to a large number of black homeowners, today the county lags far behind the rest of the country.
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