Seattle & King County
Growth and density: Let's do the numbers
An expert on urban demographics argues that there's not a lot Seattle can do to change growth patterns and prevent sprawl. But some modest accommodations can be made.
Richard Morrill
Latest work
Politics
The Seattle-area transportation proposals: a vast waste of money
Trains won't solve our problems, and we can't go back to an automobile era. The solution, unfortunately, is not on the ballot next November. That would be more buses, congestion management, and overall better use of the highways we have.
Politics
The new population figures show slow growth in Seattle and big growth in outer counties
The region is growing smartly, particularly as you get farther away from Seattle, and in amenities-rich hotspots like Whatcom and the Columbia River valley. The new figures show what high costs will do in cities with lots of economic growth, pushing families and other residents farther and farther o
Politics
Growth in Seattle: Do we just throw up our hands?
The growth guru looks at the relatively few things government could do to stop putting coal on the engines of local growth. But they won't be easy politically. For instance, are you okay with expanding the Urban Growth Boundary?
Politics
So what would be better than the roads-and-transit ballot proposal?
A leading critic of Proposition 1 takes up the challenge and proposes his notion of a better way to address the transportation problems of the Puget Sound region. Some of the solutions are surprisingly modest, like allowing less parking on Seattle arterials.