Posted Sat, Jan 7, 5:51 p.m.

I guess I need to say a little more about the redistricting process! Redistricting theory (and law) talks about criteria for effective redistricting. Ideally, these are equal population, reasonable compactness, a mix of “safer” and more “competitive” districts, and respect for communities of interest, Communities of interest include (a) respect ...

Posted Sat, Nov 26, 3:52 p.m.

The fight over the merits of rail transit is almost a metaphor for the political polarization that threatens to destroy the nation. I can’t think of a local issue that has been more polarizing, subject to emotional rather than rational discourse, and seemingly exempt from normal cost-benefit analysis. Like Ted ...

Posted Sat, Nov 26, 10:53 a.m.

Well in this case my purpose was just to describe what the metropolis is like, with no hidden agenda, as I often get into trouble when I try to preach. The mix and the pattern is not "good or bad", though I suspect some people will argue that a mix ...

Posted Tue, Nov 22, 10:04 a.m.

Thanks, Dick, for the well-informed critique of the TMP. The term "rail" should not even be used to dignify an utterly indefensible investment in streetcars, a 19th century, slow, awkward, inflexible technology that interferes with buses, pedestrians, bicycles, and seriously impedes normal car and truck flows. They are not romantic ...

Posted Mon, Nov 14, 4:03 p.m.

I don’t know which is more depressing, David’s diagnosis of the problem, David’s suggestion of a Reform party or David’s specific example proposals, or some of the comments! OK I’ve had 75 years to develop such cynicism. The diagnosis is not wrong, it is just superficial. The underlying problems are ...

Posted Mon, Nov 14, 12:38 p.m.

These comments treat a serious issue trivially. We do not live in this ideal world. Actually Collin, it is not difficult to create a majority minority congressional district and not overly disturb incumbents It will be done, because if the commission were to fail to the courts would. The case ...

Posted Wed, Oct 26, 7:39 a.m.

The best way to help transit is to improve roads for buses, cars and bikes to share.We oldsters who grew up with streetcars were happy to say good riddance to an uncool 19th century anachronism, in favor or more flexible, much faster and less traffic-interfering buses and trackless trolleys. Even ...

Posted Wed, Oct 19, 4:15 p.m.

These are a fascinating set of comments and reveal how widespread frustration and uncertainty are today. What I didn’t see are many specific counter-arguments against my doomsday scenario! One, with which I can agree, is that not all Republicans support the more extreme social and economic views that seem to ...

Posted Sat, Sep 3, 7:35 a.m.

As the demographer for the Central Puget Sound Research Report, I feel I should comment on Mark Hinshaw’s “Sick suburbs, expiring exurbs”. The main problem is that he extrapolates dramatically and wishfully from short-term recession and rising class inequality trends to fundamental change in the nature of American settlement. As ...

Posted Wed, Jun 15, 10:51 a.m.

HI all, I reread my piece, and repeat, again, that in no way did I say or imply that there is anything "wrong" about Seattle. All I pointed out is that places differ from one another. Seattle is and will be what it's citizens and investors desire it to be. ...

Posted Thu, Jun 9, 4:22 p.m.

Thanks for the many comments. I’ll note first that the sensational headline is chosen by the editor not me! Don’t get tense. It’s just a spoof on a billboard from 37 or 38 years ago. Plus, this was NOT a story about Seattle, but comparing places across the whole region. ...

Posted Thu, May 5, 12:17 p.m.

The index of diversity comes from biology, and yes 90% Black is just as non diverse as 90% white. I would note that this ethnic sense of diversity is only that. On a wider cultural level there could be many other definitions, e.g, age, houssehold, income, etc etc.! So it ...

Posted Mon, Apr 18, 11:26 a.m.

Vance is right that the geographic redistribution of population slightly favors the GOP, yet the composition of the population does not. Because of the continuing turmoil of the economy and wars, there is greater uncertainty than usual and possibly a little more competitive election.

Posted Tue, Mar 22, 9:01 a.m.

True believers of New Urbanism seem as unreachable by reason as religious fundamentalists! Marx long ago, and many economists over the years have shown that cities exploit the countryside, not the other way around. Probably a quarter of a big city's gross product comes from its trade surplus with its ...

Posted Sat, Feb 5, 11:25 a.m.

Skip and others are right that the system of counties is not sacred and they have changed. There is nothing wrong with floating a few more realistic possibilities. But consolidation should not be forced on unwilling, viable local governments. Besides small counties I believe can already contract with larger neighbors ...

Posted Wed, Feb 2, 11:01 a.m.

Well, folks/ This proposal wins my Michelle Bachman award for ignorance, insensitivity and insanity. Here are the two main reasons to not even flirt with the idea. First, do these urban core types have any clue whatsoever of the deep cultural meaning of counties in American history? Counties are the ...

Posted Fri, Dec 10, 4:19 p.m.

Hey, I'm a socialist, but have no problem with signs identifying who owns and occupies various buildings. After all, they are the economy and much of our society. Why shouldnt high rise as well as low rise businesses get to proclaim their wares? Besides it would be informative to know ...

Posted Sat, Nov 13, 8:15 p.m.

Yep, redistricting is political and cultural. It's true that the Democrats would be better off not to concentrate ("waste") so many D voters in the 7th. But a Seattle district is the tradition!

Posted Sat, Nov 13, 8:09 p.m.

Thanks for all the comments and different perspectives. Just wanted to assure the Tacoma folks that I appreciate the diversity and change within Tacoma, but my data only was for large areas, like Tacoma as a whole.

Posted Tue, Oct 5, 8:25 p.m.

I'm an agnostic and did very well, but then I DID have a course on comparative religion in college. I too wish people were more knowledgeable, but let's be realistic. IF religion were to be taught in schools, I predict that 90 to 99 percent of the courses would be ...

Posted Sat, Oct 2, 7:36 a.m.

I appreciate your comments Loren Bliss is correct that Marx viewed capitalism as incapable of being tamed, that “tyranny” was inevitable. I believe that social democracy, while difficult to maintain, is possible and the only social order that understands individual creativity and social cooperation as co-equal goods. Pepper2000 is right ...

Posted Fri, Oct 1, 5:44 p.m.

Nicely said Jim Rolls, way to fair and sensible to happen.

Posted Thu, Sep 23, 10:38 a.m.

As many of you know I am no fan of rail transit, for equity and efficiency reasons, but, as the saying goes, that train has left the station!

Posted Wed, Sep 8, 1:34 p.m.

Land use as such is not the issue. It is the sheer volume of human activity (production, consumption, construction, travel), the continuing rather fast growth of population and production, and essentially how households and firms BEHAVE. So low or high density land use are not necessarily good or bad, rather ...

Posted Tue, Apr 20, 9:22 a.m.

Wonderful! Not only vanpools, but any and all forms of raising the number of persons per vehicle. Ride sharing,picking up folks so as to shift to the HOT lanes, more incentives to firms for ridesharing, also jitneys. Three or more persons in a vehicle is, as noted, FAR FAR the ...

Posted Wed, Apr 7, 11:10 a.m.

But even from Seattle's narrow self-interest, rail on 520 is idiotic,logistically. Our mayor does not seem to grasp that Seattle is less than 20% of the greater Seattle metro area, and that our prosperity is more dependent on the rest of the region than it is dependent on Seattle.

Posted Wed, Dec 16, 2:29 p.m.

I don't think we are in much disagreement. Certainly people have moved toward support of equality. When I came to Seattle, we still had the Alien Land Law, by which Japanese could not own land. My wife and I were arrested for protesting totally separate real estate markets for whites ...

Posted Sun, Dec 13, 8:29 p.m.

Thanks for all your comments. Yes, the results for 1033 would be a different division of the electorate. But sorry I dont yet have the precinct results for 1033 (or the Reg 71 results for Walla Walla. True the results would have been negative 10 years ago, but not that ...

Posted Thu, Nov 5, 9:33 a.m.

Generally a perceptive analysis. I'd add that the progressive-conservative polarization is increasingly based on education and occupation (a.k.a "class") which helps us understand why Pierce and Cowlitz (Longview) and Clark , with large blue-collar populations vote conservatively on social issues. This was evident too in the Maine vote on gay ...

Posted Sat, Oct 17, 7 a.m.

I was at the talk, and since Geography sponsored Bruce Katz’ talk, I also attended a faculty workshop. I agree with comments that the talk was mainly a paean to the metropolitan dominance cliché. But a few healthy points snuck through, including the importance of a resurgence in making stuff ...

Posted Fri, Aug 28, 10:52 a.m.

The ‘race’ we’re losing is to understand the real world, in contrast to the planners’ utopia. In the real world, at least ¾ of jobs are not suited for and cannot survive in downtowns or major centers, and at least ¾ of people, and not only in families, prefer modest ...

Posted Thu, Jun 11, 2:03 p.m.

Well, that’s a good start on describing Seattle’s cultural conformity, our smugness and superiority in the guise of liberalism. Probably only Berkeley and Boulder are worse at making it known how everyone should think and behave. That should be a warning to us. As a downtown built on bloated and ...

Posted Fri, Jun 5, 5:27 p.m.

Ruling class! interesting to hear the term again. probably a little harder measure. to Pebble Creek-- I note the index is composed of education, occupation and income in that order of contribution. Mobility is actually lower for rich folks, since they are more likely to be owners, at least after ...

Posted Thu, Apr 16, 5:17 p.m.

As I've shown here in Crosscut and elsewhere, people have failed to concentrate to the degree that planners hoped, simply because they don't want to be crammed into apartment buildings! Closing the "loophole" of planned unit developments will not change this. People will still exercise their preferences and move even ...

Posted Fri, Apr 10, 8:21 p.m.

Religious fundamentalism, even in the guise of environmental sustainability, is as destructive to the human spirit, as any other utopian dogma, which subjects humans to an absolutist creed. I recommend that people read Thomas More’s original Utopia, to begin to grasp the horrors of total subjugation. Fascinating and well-meaning utopian ...

Posted Sun, Mar 15, 5:37 p.m.

Seattleites often have an unjustified inferiority comple vis-a-vis Portland and Vancouver, BC, but in this respect we are backward and deprived. Our rivals have great clothing-optional venues, which Seattle surely needs if it claims to be a world-class city!

Posted Wed, Feb 25, 1 p.m.

The quadrupling refers to the growth of the urbanized area population from 800000 in 1950 to over 3.2 million in 2008, and is correct. Constitutionally, population movement in the US cannot be constrained. This was reaffirmed in the 1930s. But the growth of central Puget SOund will probably be less ...

Posted Sat, Feb 7, 4:27 p.m.

Kudos to Knute and to all the commenters. I almost believe that teaching and writing urban geography for 50 years has truly been worthwhile, as I sense an unusually high level of understanding of the true character of the metropolis. I think the most important points were these 1. There ...

Posted Fri, Oct 10, 9:24 p.m.

lucky window: This may be true for the short term, but Washington, and especially Seattle, and especially downtown Seattle, are in for very rough times over the next year or more, when the bast financial house of cards comes tumbling down.

Posted Thu, Aug 28, 9:54 a.m.

RE: I'd be interested to hear more about Seattle's supposed "tolerance": You're right. Seattle's tolerance is limited! We certainly like telling others how to live!

Posted Wed, Aug 27, 4:51 p.m.

RE: The key to Seattle is Redmond: of course Microsoft has become as important a force, but the UW was instrumental in the late 70s in getting the gentrification process under way - before Microsoft became so important.

Posted Tue, Aug 19, 10:06 a.m.

Nowhere is where the majority lives: Nowhere is where the majority of Americans live, and will continueto live. Cities, subiurbs, small towns, farms and forests are all functioning and necessary parts of the real human landscape, as they have been for at least 10000 years, and probably will be for ...

Posted Sun, Aug 3, 9:44 p.m.

zone 'em out: Knute Your piece reminds me o A great cartoon I used in my urban geography and planning class some years ago. Two fat rich guys with cigars are discussing poverty, and one says, "the poor?, no problem, we'll just zone 'em out!

Posted Fri, Aug 1, 12:14 p.m.

thanks for all the comments: Thanks for the many comments. You all should appreciate that it's impossible in a piece like mine to include all the ifs, ands, and buts/ Of course are metropolis has changed dramatically since 1975 and will again by 2040. My point was simply there will ...

Posted Wed, Jun 25, 12:08 p.m.

Comment on the 3 parts!: Comment on MacDonald (all 3) MacDonald does take a while, but certainly reinforces what the many (not just a few old white men) skeptics have argued all along, that the extended RAIL component of Sound Transit just doesn't compute economically or geographically. It consumes far ...

Posted Mon, Jun 9, 8:18 p.m.

RE: 1200 units demolished last year in Seattle: HA, we built more units, all right, but added no additional people, because the new units had smaller households.

Posted Mon, Jun 9, 12:13 p.m.

Limits to preservation: As is known, I am not enthusiast for massive redevelopment and densification, and I'd like to "sustain" a lot of the single family houses, duplexes, older apartment and small business in Seattle and beyond. But the market, and planning (and I) all understand and support the reality ...

Posted Fri, May 30, 8:31 p.m.

LA is not what you think: As I've noted before, Los ANgeles is actually the DENSEST urbanized area in the US, yes denser than New York,San Francisco or Boston. People mistake sheer huge size (16 million people) for sprawl. LA has a good transit system, and lots of carpooling.

Posted Wed, May 14, 3:47 p.m.

tragic and insane: The streetcar plan is tragic and insane. We replaced streetcars with electic trolleys for the sane and simple reason that they are far more effective. Rail cars on arterials interefere with cars, delivery trucks, bike, busses, pedestrians and will create congestion and impede the flow of traffic. ...

Posted Tue, May 6, 8:04 p.m.

out of touch with reality: It's actually humorous how totally out of touch with realaity Seattle can be. Over the 52 years I've been in Seattle, not just central Puget SOund, but the city of Seattle almost always wins, is bailed out by the rest of the state, and imposes ...

Posted Fri, Apr 25, 11:32 a.m.

governance: Washington, and especially the greater Seattle area, has a long history of fear of general purpose governments (like Seattle) and of consolidated government, so we have opted instead for an astounding and complex layering of special districts instead of incorporation or annexation, and have formed special authorities for every ...

Posted Fri, Apr 25, 11:31 a.m.

self-sufficiency: Neither the mayor nor the city council are comfortable with the real world, but we will probably survive. I do feel compelled to enter professor mode and note that civilization is based on the division of labor among people and on comparative advantage of different areas–hence our dependence on ...

Posted Fri, Apr 25, 11:29 a.m.

growth managment plan: Mac Donald provides a fairly sober assessment of plans versus reality for the region, even if he tries in the end to embrace the goals for future development. As a geographer-demographer, urban settlement is my field of study, and I periodically review urban trends for the Central ...

Posted Sat, Mar 15, 10:17 a.m.

RE: Definition of Housing: Yes, definitely the data includes condos. Since assessment data are public, one could determine the values separaetly, but would be a lot of work. and yes, people certainly have a trade off between housing and transport costs. That's part of all urban planning models. These prices ...

Posted Thu, Mar 13, 11:13 a.m.

good comments: I enjoyed the interesting comments. The underlying message of my data essay was that, like NY, LA, SF, Boston, we already are a "dual" metropolis, with emerging "new urbanist" cores for those who love them, but with extensive "garden city" suburbs for the others (and they are not ...

Posted Thu, Feb 14, 5:39 p.m.

part of the reason: This subject has been extensively studied by economists and urban scientists. While exact answers are not possible because of the great complexity, in metro areas with strong growth management but also economic and income growth, it is probable that about one-third of the relatively higher housing ...

Posted Sat, Feb 2, 5:09 p.m.

Let 'em eat cake!: Wow. I guess this proves my point. All I was trying to say is that if the less affluent 2/3 of the population, who are getting lower and lower shares of the nation's income and wealth, were to pursue their self-interest in a good classic capitalist ...

Posted Fri, Feb 1, 6:13 p.m.

the victims have to realize what they are: The very term "populism", is archaic. The real question is why the working class (at least half the population but they won't admit it) are afraid to confront the rich and the corporate world Two main reasons: First, they believe when told ...

Posted Thu, Jan 24, 11:42 a.m.

RE: What's that definition of insanity again?: The problem with electing members of a governing board JUST for transportation is that it sets up a confrontational mode, rail vs road extremsists, etc., Now if the proposal is a sly forerunner to replace the PSRC with a true, even if limited, ...

Posted Sat, Jan 12, 10:33 a.m.

Values?: If you're implying that the unchurched have lesser "values" (whatever that means) than the churched, you should not have wasted this space. I'll take the values of Oregon and Washington, as expressed by legislation and behvior, over those manifest in most of the country. PS The idea is almost ...

Posted Mon, Dec 31, 5:44 p.m.

liberals and "liberals": Since when is unaffordable housing an asset? It may be true that neo-liberals bear some responsibility for housing unaffordability, because of excessively draconian planning, for globalization and rising inequality, but as you (David) noted in an earlier blog, the New Democrats are the Old Republicans. I'm 73 ...

Posted Mon, Dec 17, 4:54 p.m.

RE: So what would you do for Tacoma?: NO I said that Prop 1 was too focused on Seattle, and specifiacally downtown Seattle, with nothing much for Pierce. In a future ballot, either Pierce county should insist on investments that serve Tacoma rather than Seattle, or not be part of ...

Posted Wed, Dec 12, 2:12 p.m.

Let's hear from Eastlake: To a fair degree, the South Lake union, Eastlake, University District, Fremont and Westlake are already an integrated economic zone, increasingly related to the UW, and unfortunately, increasingly unaffordable. But it doesn't need any official recognition, or worse, grandiose plan. And we should be very skeptical ...

Posted Wed, Dec 12, 1:57 p.m.

thanks?: I love you all too! Seriously I opted for a census variable analysis to supplement the polls, which don't relate choice to the kind of area where the voters live. The main factor I could not assess was the impact of the opposition of the Sierra Club and of ...

Posted Mon, Dec 10, 11:14 a.m.

A religious test?: Mitt Romney's speech was perhaps an homest try, but it unmistakably proposed a religous test for the office of president, that the candidate must be a traditional theist, and very preferably Christian. This contradicts Article 6 of the Constitution, which says there must be no such test. ...

Posted Sat, Nov 17, 6:02 p.m.

A much more varied radical history: Knute, you are a little young I guess, but there were several major incidents in Seattle in the 60s and 70s. We had a chapter of SDS on campus, as well as of CORE and others in the city. The riots and arrests and ...

Posted Tue, Nov 13, 12:14 p.m.

strongman and mega-projects: Well put Knute. Despite $4 million, the voters failed to behave as instructed. But even many of the opponents (e.g. Sierra Club) are part of the normative mentality that citizens are inherently selfish and stupid and need to be made to behave correctly A parallel problem is ...

Posted Tue, Oct 30, 4:30 p.m.

Not religion but politics: I am afraid I will seem cynical, but what the trends you discuss are really about is the excessive power of religiosity in the United States. The candidates are FORCED to woo voters by emphasizing their religious roots or beliefs, even if privately they may be ...

Posted Mon, Oct 8, 12:24 p.m.

Restoreth my faith: I can hardly believe the wondrous essay by David and the string of thoughtful comments. Truly Proposition 1 is a tragic case of the Seattle process, of cumulative greed and political correctness, run amok. Ron Sims provided the leadership Christine Gregoire should have. I would remind people, ...

Posted Thu, Sep 27, 11:15 a.m.

I remember it well: Yes, the Last Exit was a great place, and often visited by we grad strudents and young faculty who had to traipse way down to the then only computer center on Pacific. It would be interesting to have a recollection of what was on the Avein ...

Posted Fri, Aug 3, 3:48 p.m.

anti-rail left: I accept membership in the 'anti-rail'left-- for reasons of equity: the ST2 rail plan squanders resources which could be more effectively used in other ways. I'm not sure of Emory, but I am in no way anti-car or anti-road; we have underinvested in roads for 30 years; I ...

Posted Tue, Jul 10, 8:27 p.m.

RE: Never at 600,000: The population was 600000 the year I arrivedin Seattle 1955, according to a special census!

Posted Sun, Jun 24, 9:45 a.m.

How can you not want rail? (Morrill here again): How can you not want rail? I was talking to a friend, who asked this question, and saying he couldn't wait to take the train to SeaTac. I said "I'm sure I'll take it too, and be thankful for the huge ...

Posted Fri, Jun 22, 1:08 p.m.

Comment for David Brewster and reply to comments to me (Morrill): What David writes is precisely that the case for rail transit if entirely and only political, and cannot be made economically. The three benefits can equally or more be deemed dis-benefits. The first is yet another unjust transfer of ...