Economics

Washington State Convention Center Expansion Is Not Inevitable

The City of Seattle and the Puget Sound region are growing rapidly. As a result, residents are facing huge spikes in housing costs, overburdened transportation infrastructure,...

Smart Grids: Technology for a Green Urban Energy Future

The buzzwords “smart grid” have been floating around in environmentalist circles, national security circles, and it’s even made an appearance in urbanist media. Hype...

Amazon Whittles the HQ2 Competition Down to 20

Last week Amazon announced progress on locating its second headquarters: 238 applicants have been whittled down to 20 finalists. The top 20 offer some...

What the 2018 Population Estimate Tells Us About Flattening Rents in Seattle

Seattle rents appeared to have flattened beginning late last year. Since then, as subsequent rent surveys strengthened the pattern, the consistent explanation has been the...
A pergola shelters a street cafe on Ballard Avenue, with a person biking by in the street.

Policy Lab: Why Are Seattle Restaurants So Expensive?

Seattle service workers are set to get a major wage hike, unless restaurant lobbyists get their way. But policymakers can support the restaurant industry in better ways than simply cutting worker pay.

Sunday Video: The Housing Tax Crisis

Uytae Lee of About Here dives into development fees and taxes, which contribute to a significant proportion of new housing costs. In many North American cities, housing taxes have been increasing much faster than inflation. But why are they increasing so much, what are they used for, and how does this affect homebuilding?

Will Linkage Fees Keep Properties Off The Market?

In my last article on linkage fees I made the case that the typical supply and demand dynamics we are familiar with from buying gasoline...
The Capitol building in Olympia is marble colored and include pillars and a dome in the classic style.

Op-Ed: How to De-Trumpify the Washington State Budget

The mega wealthy are gaining even greater wealth thanks to Trump tax cuts while hundreds of thousands people are set to lose health care, food stamps, child care, and K-12 educational necessities. The Washington State Legislature should pass progressive funding to maintain and rebuild public services, John Burbank argues.