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What We’re Reading: MLT TOD, Climate Change Adaptation, and Stone Age Policy

Stephen Fesler - June 04, 2018

Rejecting inaction: In Phoenix, complete streets volunteers resigned en mass in response to inaction by city officials.

Paris Accord in 2018: The United States is pulling out of the Paris Accord at the behest of the White House, but who is still staying in?

Dismayed: Community advocates are dismayed over Seattle’s interim police chief, Cameron Best, being taken out of the running as a finalist and want a restart.

MLT TOD: A large transit-oriented development has broken ground near the Mountlake Terrace transit center ($).

Second city: Recent census data shows that Tacoma is growing faster than Spokane, but has a bit of catching up to do to reach second city status in the state.

Window service: It’s now policy in Portland that drive-through businesses must serve people on bikes, or on foot for that matter.

Out of whack: In the housing price-to-income ratio standings, Los Angeles tops the list for the most out of whack region.

Climate change adaptation: California communities are having difficult discussions about how to respond to climate change and adopted related policies.

Greater affordability: Transit-rich neighborhoods are more affordable places to live.

Supporting entrepenuership: Why cities should support street vendors, not deter them.

Going small and urban: Target will open three urban-style stores in the Seattle area.

Unchoke school buses: Perhaps it’s time to upgrade those yellow school buses for children from diesel-choked polluters to less harmful bus for students and the environment.

Monorail upgrades: Service on the Seattle Monorail could get a boost on the horizon in addition to other changes for capacity ($).

Zoned out: Over half of all new Seattle residents are finding themselves in just 13% of the city’s land ($).

End the tyranny of FPTP: British Columbia will get a vote on proportional representation this year.

Added WS trips: Route 56 in West Seattle could get some extra trips this fall.

Late arrival: Commercial passenger flights out of Paine Field may be delayed after a last-minute by the Federal Aviation Administration assessement was required ($).

Wisdom of vacancy taxes: Are vacancy taxes working to fight blight and spur occupancy or redevelopment?

Chi-Town historic crisis: With demolitions rapidly happening, is Chicago experiencing a historic preservation crisis?

A hurricane disaster: On Trump’s watch, more than 4,600 people died in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of the hurricane last year.

Neo-redlining: Banks are finding ways to deny mortgages of blacks and Latinos at highly disproportionate rates to caucasians.

Stone age policy: The White House is poised to back a proposal by the United States Department of Energy to prop up aging and obsolete coal polluting power plants.