Dick Morrill is emeritus professor of geography at the University of Washington and an expert in urban demography.
Much of the growth comes from external factors we cannot control. But not all of it is beyond local political control. An urban geographer sorts out the unusual concentration of growth hormones that hit the area and looks at the dilemmas of rapid growth.
While larger trends have made the city become whiter, other parts of the central Puget Sound region have become genuinely diverse. Seattle now ranks 40th statewide in diversity.
The state is growing vigorously, all across the landscape. Hopes of urban concentration are not being realized, with some exceptions.
Updated with additional maps. New data show how Seattle is changing in fundamental ways. It has become a haven for singles, for young people (but not children), and for renters. Married couples with children, the historic norm, now make up only 13% of Seattle households.
What some might see as partisan gain (for Republicans) coming out of the redistricting plan actually seems to have been driven by shifting demographics.
