Seattle
Checking in on Seattle's Ambitious Waterfront Park Plans
A recent article by Bill Lucia explains the reasons to be cautiously optimistic about a proposed park that will replace a demolished Alaskan Viaduct on Seattle’s waterfront.
Seattle's Bell Street Park Is a Pedestrian Friendly Dream
The newly opened Bell Street Park in Seattle offers the kind of "social friction" Leigh Gallagher called for in Friday's NYT with "planters, perches ... and the simplest but most innovative feature of all, a level plane between sidewalk and street."
Taxis v. Uber: A Regulatory Update
Are rideshare companies like Uber here to stay? The answer likely hinges on a series of legal battles taking place nationwide.
Seattle's Growth Patterns Buck Century-Long Trend
According to Census data, the city of Seattle's population is growing faster than its King County suburbs—for the first time since 1910.
Forget Sunk Cost—What's the Best Way to Spend Bertha's Remaining Funds?
Seattle’s massive highway tunneling project delays while solutions are sought for the mechanical error that brought the project’s massive drilling machine, Bertha, to a halt. Some are starting to examine life after Bertha.
Placemaking Lessons Learned from Seattle's Super Bowl Parade
Last Wednesday, an estimated 700,000—more than the city's population of 635,000—welcomed the Seahawks home, without major incident. Writing in The Atlantic Cities, Chuck Wolfe describes five lessons for placemaking through words and photographs.
Seattle Looks to Data Centers for Heat, Hot Water
Seattle’s Office of Sustainability & Environment (OSE) is looking to an unusual source for energy: the area’s data centers.
With Bertha Stuck in the Mud, Officials Question Contractor Conduct
Though Seattle's giant tunneling machine remains stuck 60 feet under South Main Street, muck is starting to be flung above the surface. An email from Washington's Transportation Secretary reveals concerns over the conduct of the machine's operators.
What's Blocking Seattle's Tunnel-Boring Behemoth?
Is it a giant rock? What about a sunken ship? Beneath Seattle's waterfront, a mysterious object has halted Bertha, the world's largest tunnel-boring machine. Stumped engineers are unclear on how long a highway tunneling project will be suspended.
LEED Neighborhood Rises in Shadow of Pioneering Seattle Shopping Mall
A sprawling parking lot next to one of America's first suburban shopping malls is undergoing a monumental transformation into a dense mixed-use community complete with restorative park.
See, You Really Can Build Urban Housing Without Parking
New apartment developments are popping up in cities like Boston, Seattle, and Miami without one key feature: on-site parking. These projects prove that providing parking isn't necessary to lure residents, even in cities not named New York.
Seattle DOT to Head in a Different Direction
A change in mayoral administrations means a change at the top of Seattle's Department of Transportation. After almost four years, Peter Hahn will make way for a new director. Lynn Thompson examines his accomplishments and hints at what may be ahead.
North America's 10 Smartest Cities
A year after he unveiled his list of North America's top "Smart Cities" based on a new metric meant to bring clarity and measurability to the discussion, Boyd Cohen is back with a refined methodology and a new ranking.
Draconian Spending Cuts Threaten Seattle Transit Service
With record ridership stressing Seattle's public transit system, the last thing the city needs is a funding crisis created by political intransigence. Unfortunately, that's what the city seems to be getting, reports Tanya Snyder.
Mixed Results for Urbanism in Yesterday's Elections
Sustainable transportation in Seattle, a streetcar in Cincinnati and an Astrodome in Houston were among the policies and projects at stake in local elections across the U.S. yesterday. Here are some of the winners and losers.
What to Watch for in Today's Elections
Off-year elections rarely generate much interest from voters. But at a time when those in D.C. can't seem to get much done, local elections are, in many ways, deciding the direction of the U.S. Mike Riggs examines some of compelling storylines.
Seattle's Low-Cost, High-Efficiency Street Parking Program
For an effective, low-cost alternative to San Francisco’s bank-breaking street parking program, look no further than Seattle.
Addressing the Supply Side of the Affordable Housing Equation
If high demand cities like Seattle hope to avoid the fate of insanely priced cities like San Francisco, they'll have to do a better job of addressing the housing supply side and stop placing the burden of subsidy on new development.
Will Portland Lose its Status as America's Bike Commuting Champion?
While bike commuting is gaining nationwide, it's actually dropping in Portland which has held the enviable title of tops in bike commuting for large cities since 2005. Minneapolis and Seattle, #2 and #3 respectively, are gaining, warns BikePortland.
When Speeding Pays
Speeding is paying-off in the amount of $15 million for Seattle area schools thanks to speed-enforced cameras, a proven but nonetheless controversial traffic safety tool. Revenue will be used to make walking safer under a proposal by Mayor McGinn.
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
