Washington

Walmart easily received approval for four new big box stores in Washington, D.C. With so much opposition elsewhere, why the open arms in the Beltway?

July 22, 2011 - New Urban Network

In a post at Project for Public Spaces, a politician from Spokane, WA is quoted as saying the way municipal governments could spur job growth is by building public spaces where people want to live, work, shop and invest.

July 21, 2011 - Project For Public Spaces

A set of recommendations for changes to land-use regulations in Seattle is being highlighted by Mayor Mike McGinn as a way to both create sustainable neighborhoods and jobs. One of the authors of the recommendations explains.

July 19, 2011 - Crosscut

MIMBYs? Seattle plans to build a one-story light-rail station in the Roosevelt neighborhood's commercial district, but locals are fighting for greater density and reducing zoning restrictions on the site.

July 18, 2011 - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Chuck Wolfe explains how the fusion of laundromats and dining are evidence of the evolving city and the ongoing need for regulatory reform.

July 17, 2011 - Sustainable Cities Collective

Washington state fulfills its share of the West Coast Green Highway initiative by installing nine fast-charging stations for electric cars along the 580-mile Interstate 5 corridor from Oregon to Canada.

July 14, 2011 - The Washington Post

While some have pigeonholed him as anti-business, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn is taking the city through the recovery of the economy in a positive but potentially hard-to-swallow way, according to this column.

July 12, 2011 - The Seattle Times

An accident-prone section of bike path in Seattle has prompted dozens of lawsuits and resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments to injured cyclists. Now the cyclists themselves are trying to fix the infrastructural problem.

July 2, 2011 - The Seattle Times

The Economist reports "a case of favoritism towards electricity generated by federal dams" in the Columbia River basin, a stretch of land that encompasses Oregon, Washington state, Idaho, and western Montana.

June 24, 2011 - The Economist

Facing $60 million in deficits over the next year, transportation officials in metropolitan Seattle are pushing a plan to ask voters to approve an increase in the price of registering cars in the area to create a transportation fund.

June 22, 2011 - The Seattle Times

In Washington state, King County Council will vote on a measure to adopt a new algorithm for transit service policy.

June 20, 2011 - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Los Angeles, Cincinnati and San Francisco are tackling major urban problems quickly and effectively. This post argues that Seattle can learn much from these efforts.

June 12, 2011 - Crosscut

A number of cities in Washington are embarking on waterfront redevelopment projects. The projects range from the relatively small to the complete makeover.

June 11, 2011 - Crosscut

The project converted a nine-acre parking lot into an ambitious urbanist community, which revitalized a nearby natural water channel, added high density housing, retail, and integrated a walkable design.

June 7, 2011 - Grist

A study of bicycle amenities in Seattle concludes that most of the private office buildings downtown lack bike parking, and other amenities such as showers and bike pumps are almost nonexistent. Public bicycle parking downtown has a better showing.

June 3, 2011 - Puget Sound Business Journal

Seattle has been named one of the nation's safest p[laces to walk or bike. But some question whether that success will translate into any further improvements in bike and pedestrian infrastructure spending.

May 26, 2011 - Publicola

Landscape architect James Corner, whose eponymous firm designed the High Line, turns its attention to Seattle. Last week, Corner presented his plans for reorienting the city towards the waterfront.

May 23, 2011 - The Seattle Times

Seattle is growing more dense, which is underlining the importance of the city's public spaces. But as this piece from Crosscut argues, the city's public spaces are mostly bleak and underused.

May 19, 2011 - Crosscut

Cities of all population sizes were ranked by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center. Key to top-rated Seattle was its management of parking. 19 cities were cited from throughout the country.

May 8, 2011 - The Atlantic Magazine

Zach Patton details the effects of Seattle's zoning regulation which allows for the construction of "backyard cottages." These cottages, writes the author, are a viable way to increase urban density and provide affordable housing.

May 2, 2011 - Governing