March 17, 2023
UW Study Details New Seattle Area Commute Patterns

In the post-Covid era, how we get around is changing. A new study from the University of Washington’s Mobility Innovation Center and Commute Seattle finds traffic is back not just because of work trips. 75% of people drive alone for errands. “If we can make transit, biking, and walking for those types of trips, we’ll…
Infrastructure & Transportation | Land Use & Planning
March 14, 2023
Could Walks in the Park Ward Off Postpartum Depression?

New moms who live on tree-lined streets may be somewhat less vulnerable to postpartum depression, according to a new study — the latest to link “green space” to better mental health. The study, of medical records from more than 415,000 new mothers, found that those living in urban areas with more tree coverage had a…
Health & Well Being | Natural Resources & Environment
March 10, 2023
“Hacking Inequity” Event Discusses Barriers for Women and BIPOC Developers

Last month, housing finance professionals, community members, and University of Washington faculty, staff, and students met in Founders Hall for “Hacking Inequity in Access to Real Estate Capital: Best Practices and New Options.” This event, hosted by Foster School of Business, Runstad Department of Real Estate, Urban@UW, and ULI Northwest, sought to present strategies of…
Diversity, Equity & Justice | Economy & Development | Housing & Homelessness
March 9, 2023
The Battle Is On to Increase Housing Supply

This may be the year of aggressive efforts to increase the housing supply in Washington and Seattle. A total of 13 bills are moving through the Legislature with bipartisan support. They would speed permitting, make it easier to build “mother-in-law” units adjacent to existing houses, and allow lots of more than 1,500 square feet to…
Economy & Development | Housing & Homelessness | Policy & Law
March 7, 2023
Groundbreaking Study Shows Suburban Tenants are Facing More Evictions across the US

The number of families evicted from their homes in suburbs across the country has been on the rise for years, according to a report from Princeton University’s Eviction Lab. Researchers compiled eviction judgment records from 74 U.S. metropolitan areas and found that as the number of evictions in city centers held steady from 2000 to 2016, the…
Economy & Development | Housing & Homelessness | Policy & Law
March 2, 2023
PacTrans Receives USDOT $15M Renewal Award

To continue and expand its important work to improve the movement of people and goods throughout the region, the Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium (PacTrans) has received another green light: a $15 million renewal grant over the course of five years from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). “We are grateful for receiving this new grant to…
Diversity, Equity & Justice | Economy & Development | Education | Health & Well Being | Infrastructure & Transportation | Innovation & Technology
February 24, 2023
Downtown Dreams: Leaders Share 10 Ideas to Make Seattle’s Core More Vibrant

In his “State of the City” address on Tuesday, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said the word “downtown” more than 30 times and dedicated a quarter of his annual speech to revitalizing the city’s core. There are some examples of success. New York City transformed lower Manhattan into a 24-7 community with more residents and a…
Arts & Culture | Economy & Development | Innovation & Technology | Policy & Law
February 23, 2023
As Downtown recovers, Seattle reimagines what it could be

Office-to-residential conversion has its share of skeptics in the real estate world. It is expensive, in part because office interiors are so much deeper than apartment interiors, meaning it’s hard to get natural light. It’s also expensive to retrofit HVAC systems and other residential necessities that offices don’t need. Not all office buildings are created…
Design & Building | Economy & Development | Housing & Homelessness | Innovation & Technology
February 21, 2023
Will global warming make temperature less deadly?

The scientific paper published in the June 2021 issue of the journal Nature Climate Change was alarming. Between 1991 and 2018, the peer-reviewed study reported, more than one-third of deaths from heat exposure were linked to global warming. Hundreds of news outlets covered the findings. The message was clear: climate change is here, and it’s…
Climate & Energy | Diversity, Equity & Justice | Health & Well Being | Natural Hazards
February 18, 2023
Urban Scholar Highlight: Melanie Malone

This is the second in a series of interviews from Urban@UW highlighting the research of urban scholars at the University of Washington. Urban@UW spoke to Melanie Malone, Assistant Professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington Bothell. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. What do…
Advocacy & Civic Engagement | Diversity, Equity & Justice | Health & Well Being | Natural Resources & Environment | Water