Washington
Seattle Quietly Unveils New Interstate Lane
The Washington Department of Transportation expanded part of I-5 in hopes of reducing a common traffic bottleneck.
Opinion: Form-Based Codes Could Harm Seattle’s Housing Affordability
Form-based zoning codes can encourage mixed-use development and walkable neighborhoods, but focusing too much on aesthetic elements can drive up the cost of housing.
AI and Downtown Recovery: Missing the Mark in Seattle?
In his fourth GeekWire article on downtown recovery, Chuck Wolfe reviews the use of AI imagery in a section of the Seattle Downtown Activation Plan and suggests how it may have missed the mark.
Bus Rapid Transit Plans Scrapped in Tacoma
A planned bus rapid transit (BRT) line known as “Stream” will have to move forward in some new, as-yet-unplanned form in Tacoma, Washington.
ADU Demand Grows Across the West Coast
In communities from California to Washington, permit applications for accessory dwelling units outpace the ability of permitting and construction to keep pace.
Seattle Sweep of Unhoused Encampments Draws Criticism
The city denies that the timing of clearing a camp populated by unhoused residents was related to the upcoming MLB All-Star Game.
Washington Governor Delays Progress on Mileage Fee, Again
For the second time in two years, Gov. Jay Inslee has dealt a legislative setback to transportation planning efforts to prepare for the 2035 ban on the sale of gas-tax paying light duty motor vehicles to reduce carbon emissions.
Opinion: Lower Rents Will Give Downtown Spaces Back to the ‘Weirdos’
Introducing the “CBGB theory of city planning.”
King County Metro to Cut Bus Service
With hundreds of buses out of service and a mechanic shortage delaying repairs and maintenance, Seattle area bus riders will see significantly reduced service this summer.
Regional Authority to Address Homelessness Proposed in Spokane
The city wants to coordinate resources and groups to bring resources to unhoused residents after the closure of Camp Hope, formerly the largest encampment in the state.
Revisiting ‘Third Places’ as a Pandemic Recovery Tool
In Chuck Wolfe's latest piece on downtown recovery for GeekWire, he proposes revisiting a multifaceted ‘third place’ agenda as a focus for downtown recovery.
Sound Transit Reveals Early 2024 Service Plans
Seattle’s transit agency is looking to maximize its limited resources as it continues to grapple with staffing shortages and supply chain issues across the region.
Bellevue Issues Curb Management Plan
The plan reorients the city’s priorities from vehicle throughput and parking to transit, bike infrastructure, and other public amenities.
Tacoma Coalition Calls for ‘Tenants’ Bill of Rights’
The group wants to put more power in the hands of tenants, but the city has its own, competing proposal for addressing the housing crisis.
‘The Power of the Kraken:’ Seattle Monorail Ridership Spikes for Hockey Games
Seattle’s new professional hockey team is drawing legions of enthusiastic fans. Around a quarter of them are taking public transit, such as the city’s often-maligned monorail, to games.
Ten Signs of a Resurgent Downtown
In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe continues his exploration of a holistic and practical approach to post-pandemic urban center recovery, anchored in local context and community-driven initiatives that promote livability, safety, and sustainability.
Seattle Area to Get Three New Pedestrian Bridges
Three major connection projects are slated to open in the next year, bringing a comprehensive regional bikeway network one step closer to reality.
Two New Affordable Housing Communities Open in Seattle
The opening of Blake House marks the city’s first high-rise affordable housing project in half a century.
Report: West Coast Must Come to Terms With Managed Retreat
As sea levels rise, experts say coastal communities have to overcome their resistance to managed retreat and plan for relocation.
Oklahoma Launches 'Pay-per-Mile' Pilot
Mileage fee programs go by different names. In the West, it's the road usage charge or RUC. Oklahoma adopted a simpler term. What most have in common, though, is the for-profit company helping to manage them.
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
