Plans and Policy

A photo of colorful townhouses with a tree in front.

What to Know About Washington State’s Competing Missing Middle Housing Bills

Housing policy is front and center in the Washington State House this short session, as highlighted by a recent public hearing in which differing...
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Pending Low-Income Tax Credit Expiration Could Cost 2,000 Affordable Homes

More than 2,000 units of affordable housing in King County alone could stop being affordable by the end of the decade because of the...
Greenwood Single-Family Homes

Seattle Neighourhoods: Not Just for Single-Family Homes

Look around a residential neighbourhood in a typical American city, and you will see an ocean of single-family detached homes. There is a myth...
Twin four-story apartments with cherry trees in front.

Seattle Releases Comprehensive Plan Less Ambitious Than Bellevue

While Bellevue is projecting 225,000 additional residents by 2045, Seattle is anticipating a more modest 200,000 for its comprehensive planning purposes. In its new draft plan, Seattle adds fourplex zoning across most, but not all of the city, plus 24 "Neighborhood Centers" and one new urban center with more intensive zoning changes.

King County’s Comprehensive Plan Major Update Finds Approval

The Metropolitan King County Council met last week to discuss and vote on the County's Comprehensive Plan major update, a process that occurs once...

Puget Sound Regional Growth Draft Plan Centered Around Transit

The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) has put out a draft proposal for VISION 2050, the multi-county policy document to guide regional growth through...

Adopted Regional Transportation Plan Isn’t Aligned With 2030 Climate Goals

Just a few months after adopting a long range transportation plan intended to guide investments through 2050, staff at the Puget Sound Regional Council...

The Urbanist Podcast: Death of the Missing Middle Housing Bill and Industrial Zones

In this second (preview) episode of The Urbanist's podcast, my fellow host Ray Dubicki and I continue on our journey toward becoming podcasters, which...