Washington
Seattle Will Woo the NBA and NHL With Renovated Arena
Following a city council vote, Seattle's moving forward with a $600 million plan to renovate KeyArena in the hopes of attracting hockey and men's basketball.
Popular but Controversial Seattle Express Toll Lanes Face Possible Termination
The two-year-old I-405 express toll lanes are actually a trial. It's up to the legislature to decide whether they will be permanent. Two metrics were laid out: revenue and performance, but there's controversy there as well.
Cross-Border High-Speed Rail Studied for the Pacific Northwest
The state of Washington has taken a first, serious look at a high-speed rail project linking Vancouver in British Columbia to Seattle and Portland.
Focus on Positive Train Control after Amtrak Train 501 Derails in Washington
Excessive speed is thought to be the cause of the deadly derailment on Dec. 18. Positive train control, which likely would have slowed down the train, was installed on the tracks and locomotive but was not yet operational.
Seattle Redoubles its Funding Commitment to Affordable Housing
A new levy and a new housing bond enabled new levels of spending on affordable housing in Seattle.
*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.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
