Washington
What If Seattle Had a Century-Old Subway?
Virgil Bogue's 1911 Plan of Seattle called for a centrally-planned metropolis with efficient transit, parks, and a cap on building height. It was voted down, but remains an interesting study on planning for the long term.
Legal Marijuana Still a Challenge for Road Safety
The state of Washington is finding that more and more fatal car crashes involve drivers under the influence of THC. But legal limbo, lack of research, and spotty detection makes the question of what to do very hard to answer.
Real Time Data Monitoring Salmon Populations in Drought-Stricken Pacific Northwest
Indian Tribes in the Pacific Northwest are using real time data to monitor and support salmon populations on rivers impacted by water and power infrastructure along with the region's ongoing drought.
Tacoma Residents Reject Up-Zoning Proposals
A suite of zoning changes under consideration by the Tacoma Planning Commission provoked its "most well-attended" hearing in decades.
First Bus Rapid Transit Comes to Portland Metro Region
But not to Portland, nor even in Oregon for that matter. The Vine will service downtown Vancouver, Washington and be operated by Vancouver's public transit agency, C-TRAN. It broke ground in downtown Vancouver on Monday.
Mapping Fun: Where Seattle Has No Sidewalks
Not all streets are created equal: Some have sidewalks and some don't.
Sound Transit's East Link Rail Line Needs $20 Million More for Engineering
Sound Transit had to deliver bad news last week about cost overruns in the design and engineering phase of the East Link rail project that will cross Lake Washington along the path of Interstate 90.
Florida County Commissioners to Vote on Increased Gas Tax
Florida counties have their own gas taxes and can raise them without going to a vote by the people. Due to a road budget shortfall, the Santa Rosa County Commission will vote on August 13 whether to raise the gas tax as much as six cents per gallon.
Lesson from Seattle: Zoning Is a Political Debate, Not a Policy Debate
The swift rejection of a proposal to upzone residential neighborhoods in Seattle inspired The Urbanist to evaluate the lessons of the episode. One takeaway: don't demonize single-family homeowners.
Seattle's 'Oh So Human' Hesitations About Change
Seattle's recent Housing and Livability Agenda (HALA) recommendations have created a sensational dialogue about zoning, affordability and neighborhood change. Chuck Wolfe explains how this may create an unprecedented basis for consensus in the city.
First Senate Bill Introduced to Raise Gas Tax
Carper, a Democrat, hopes to take advantage of historically low gas prices to hike the federal fuel taxes four cents a year for four years to end reliance on General Funds to fund transportation spending. Increased credits would offset the tax hike.
Dueling Proposals for Seattle's Waterfront Park
Eventually, Bertha will push through and create an alternative route for what is now Highway 99. Eventually, also, Seattle will decide on a plan to build a park where the viaduct now runs.
Working Toward Open Data for Building and Construction Permits
The potential of a standard, easily accessible data set tracking building and land use permits could completely change the way the public interacts with changes in their community.
Downtown Seattle Works to Curb Driving as it Grows
With the highest levels of construction in over a decade, the city is working to reduce traffic congestion.
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.
Washington State to Increase Gas Tax by Seven Cents on Saturday
The phased, two-year, 11.9-cent gas tax increase is the largest since Pennsylvania's gas tax increase passed in Nov. 2013. On July 1, 2016, fuel taxes will be raised 4.9 cents. Taxes will fund a $16.1 billion package of transportation improvements.
Seattle Tower-Spacing Rules Cause Controversy
To preserve views, zoning rules from 2006 require adequate distance between residential towers of a certain height. As developers chafe against the restriction, residents still worry they'll be left facing a wall.
Seattle Releases App to Track Development
Into an active development environment, and the resulting heightened pitch of development controversies, comes a new app from the city of Seattle that allows the public to track development projects.
The Scary, Likely Event of the 'Really Big One' in the Pacific Northwest
Forget Hollywood's proclivity for destroying Los Angeles and San Francisco in movies like San Andreas—the greatest seismic threat in North America is in the Pacific Northwest.
Can Seattle Solve the Affordable Housing Crisis With Zoning?
Seattle returns to zoning as a tool to promote the construction of affordable housing.
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
