Washington
Grocery Chains Caught Faking Farmers Markets
The farmers market trend has gotten so popular that West Coast chain Safeway tried setting up some stands of fruits and veggies outside their store with a sign saying "Farmers Market". Locals called them on it.
A Very Small-Scale Bike Sharing Program in Seattle
A local activist in Seattle has started his own small-scale ad hoc bike sharing system with a handful of free bikes scattered throughout his neighborhood.
The Vicious Cycle of Adding Capacity for Cars
Dan Bertolet argues that adding expanding car capacity in cities just inspires more people to drive and ruins the qualities that make the city attractive in the first place.
A New Ethic for Urban Reinvention
In a unique collaboration, an American lawyer and a Venezuelan architect merge thinking on holistic design, planning and regulation
Seattle Considers Transportation Tax District
Seattle has a long list of transportation projects on the drawing boards, but little money to bring them into reality. So local officials are considering a plan to create transportation taxing districts to help fund the projects.
Preserving Business During Construction Clutter
New transit facilities attract lots of foot traffic, but while the facility is being built the construction clutter drives potential customers away. A new program in Minneapolis attempts to preserve local businesses through the debris.
Seattle Could Ban New Houseboats
The city has hundreds of houseboats on its waterways, but new shoreline regulations could prohibit any new houseboats.
Protecting The Open Spaces of Cascadia
Forest land and open space have been steadily gobbled up by development in the Pacific Northwest. A new initiative in Washington seeks to relocate some of developers' planned greenfield housing into cities.
Seattle Upgrading its Stormwater System to Prevent Sewage Overflows
The city of Seattle is taking on a $500 million project to update its storm drains to reduce the amount of untreated sewage that overflows into waterways during storm events.
Road Diet Crash Reduction Variations Studied By DOT
This 4-page summary report (PDF) is a summary of a technical paper attempting to show differences in the reduction in road crashes that result from road diets.
Electric Highway On its Way to Pacific Northwest
The nation's first electric highway could be coming to the Pacific Northwest.
'Twilight' Tourism Changes Small Town of Forks
The 'Twilight' series of books and movies has created a tourism industry in the small town of Forks, Washington, population 3,120.
Reusing Stalled Construction Sites in Seattle
Officials in Seattle are trying to pass legislation that would allow stalled construction sites to be reused as parking lots and temporary vending areas.
Ten Actions For Cities In Response To Gulf Spill
Grist's Jonathan Hiskes spoke with smart growth leaders to devise strategies that municipalities, as opposed to U.S. government, can take to lessen oil dependency - that are financially sustainable, not overly dependent on technology, and ready to go
Seattle's Backyard Cottages Encouraged
Don't call them granny flats or inlaw units! These are separate units that can only be built on lots of 4,000 sq. ft. minimum. Only 50 have been built or permitted since the trial began in 2006. The goal is to bring affordabllity to SFH neighborhoods
With Transit Funding in the Dumps, Seattle Could Ditch Ride Free Area
A section of downtown Seattle has for decades been a fare-free public transit zone. Those days could be coming to an end.
Carpooling Falls Out of Favor
In Seattle, parking spaces are reserved for people who carpool into downtown. But in recent years, an increasing amount of those parking spaces are empty.
Electric Buses Wear Out
Almost one-fifth of the transit rides in Kings County, Washington are on electric trolley buses. Unfortunately, the county hasn't bought a new trolley since 1979, and when these wear out they may not be replaced.
Mayors Say Abolish States
At a recent talk, former mayors Manny Diaz and Greg Nickels (of Miami and Seattle, respectively) talked about the frustration mayors face in having to go to the state to receive funding.
From Bedroom Communities to Jet Engine Communities
More and more people working in the San Francisco Bay Area are opting for cheaper housing outside the region. Some are going way outside the region, commuting by airplane from Portland or Seattle.
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.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
