Washington
Large Park Expansion Coming to Seattle's Chinatown
A construction project seeking construction bids will double the size of Hing Hay Park, located in Seattle's Chinatown-International District.
Another Scary Example of Driving with Impunity
Seattle Bike Blogger Tom Fucoloro directed his ire at the Bellevue, Washington police treatment of a particularly horrendous pedal misapplication crash by a new driver that came within inches of hitting a nine-month old baby asleep in a crib.
Grant Funding Rewards Innovation in Community Engagement
The Citi Foundation and Living Cities announced $3 million in grant funding to help cities adopt innovative practices in community engagement. Albuquerque, Atlanta, Baltimore, New Orleans, and Seattle will have 18 months to empower citizens.
Washington Declares Statewide Drought Emergency
With snowpack down to 16 percent of normal levels, Washington officials are bracing for drought.
Seattle Lowers Transit Fares for Low-Income Residents
Joining Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, and Kansas City, Seattle now offers reduced bus fares to low-income residents. Some worry the program entrenches class differences and doesn't truly aid social mobility.
Gentrification Concerns Ride Light Rail in Seattle
As Seattle considers a $900 million levy proposed by Mayor Ed Murray, locals are already wondering if new transit investments are precursor of unwanted gentrification.
Seattle Densification Strategy: Build Apartments Without Parking
Not just any apartments, only those served by frequent transit. Developers will still have a "mobility" requirement: In lieu of a parking space, they'll need to provide tenants with transit passes and memberships in car and bikeshare services.
Seattle Port, City Council Clash Over Drill Rigs
A decision by the Port of Seattle to host Shell Oil's Arctic drill rigs has made for tense relations between the port and the Seattle City Council.
Seattle Zealously Protects Its Parkland
Based on a history of park-friendly ordinances, Seattle parks and urban forests are largely off-limits to developers. Landowners who flout these regulations must provide the city with an adjacent and equivalent parcel.
Focus on Affordability at APA National Conference
For all the discussion about affordable housing at the APA National Conference in Seattle last week, clear solutions have yet to emerge. Polycentric regional planning is one long-term goal.
Planning for New Protected Bike Lanes in Northeast Seattle
The Seattle Department of Transportation is pitching new bike routes as safe infrastructure for all ages.
Seattle's Homeless Population Is Booming Too
While rates of homelessness drop elsewhere, tents and cardboard are becoming a very regular sight in Seattle. New wealth and newly unaffordable housing may be twin culprits.
Seattle Residents Look to Community Land Trusts to Insulate from Displacement
Community land trusts are gaining popularity as a tool for building and protecting affordable housing. Seattle residents are the latest to consider the option in the face of rapid gentrification and displacement.
Businesses Want Vermont to Adopt Nation's First Carbon Tax
Vermont's legislature will take up the carbon tax proposal this week. The tax is construed as largely revenue neutral, i.e., offset by tax decreases and credits, and apply to heating and transportation fuels. Gov. Peter Shumlin has doubts.
New Seattle Streetcars Begin Tests
The First Hill line's streetcars are set to begin service in summer of 2015, and the city is already assembling funds for an extension.
Seattle Eco-District Fosters Green Development
In a bid to knit sustainability into large-scale community development, Seattle's Capitol Hill EcoDistrict is exploring several avenues toward greener land use.
Can Seattle Build 20,000 Affordable Units in 10 Years?
Frank Chiachiere provides some advice on how Seattle can achieve its ambitious goals for affordable housing over the next decade: build transit to places where land is less expensive.
Study Finds Economic Value in Urban-Dwelling Birds
Researchers at the University of Washington and Humboldt State University have produced evidence value added by birds in urban settings.
Visioning Edges in Cities, and the Spaces Beyond
In an inspirational essay about the undeveloped boundaries of the public domain (such as street-ends), Chuck Wolfe urges innovation in city spaces where we "blend the familiar with the edge of the unknown."
'Facadism' Passing for Preservation in Seattle
Lamenting the gutting of historic buildings and leaving them a shell of their former selves.
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
