Smart Housing Strategies Award: For creative plans, policies, programs and/or actions The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Housing Solutions Study determined housing requirements for tribal elders, families, transitional households, and a casino and resort workforce. The study exceeded planning principles for public participation and provided four strategic actions to be taken by the Tribe in the creation of a tribal housing plan which was created using grant funding awarded by the Administration…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEJV5mq82Y4 Smart Housing Strategies Award: For creative plans, policies, programs and/or actions Small homes and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are part of the future for Lacey, which has experienced a population explosion in the last 10 years. The city, which is the largest in Thurston County, is taking a strategic approach to building ADUs by providing pre-approved plans. The addition of ADUs on existing properties alongside older-style homes throughout neighborhoods…

Smart Climate Change Strategies Award: For plans, policies, programs and/or actions addressing community climate impacts. People have discovered Olympia, in a big way. Washington’s capital city is growing quickly, with about 1,000 new residents moving in every year. They come for work, life and to play outside, leaning into the city’s values and quirky culture. The shifts in where people work since the pandemic also means that small cities like…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bi_G4ivS1A Some 1.5 million new people are expected to move into King, Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap counties in the next 30 years. Thanks to VISION 2050, the result of a three-year planning process by the Puget Sound Regional Council’s (PSRC) General Assembly, the region is better prepared to handle its anticipated growth. VISION 2050 incorporates multicounty planning policies and actions to create a growth strategy for the next 30 years.…

When the Kent Valley transitioned from a farming community to industrial center, the landscape was altered. Giant warehouses with blank walls, limited windows and no curb appeal replaced verdant farmland. The community’s infrastructure changed to support the transportation of goods in and out, and not necessarily helping people stay close to home. While the manufacturing industry has been economically resilient and serves the community well, it has not always been…

Once, the little retail center off Highway 405 in north Kirkland was home to a dark ‘70s era mall with mostly empty storefronts. Now the Village at Totem Lake is an Eastside destination. Whether people need health care or high-end groceries, or just want a bite to eat and a place to browse, Totem Lake is a bright, modern, mixed use destination that seamlessly combines retail, entertainment, health care and…

The City of Airway Heights is booming. Once a bedroom community next to Fairchild Air Force Base, it’s now the fastest growing city in Spokane County with a 64% increase in population in the last 10 years. U.S. Highway 2 runs through the heart of downtown, dividing the city in two. The high-speed traffic corridor poses challenges to the nearby community and local businesses, as many of the people driving…

North Bend has branded itself as a community that’s easy to reach but hard to leave. The city, which has about 7,000 people, is a livable small town with a lot of character and natural beauty. Its secret is its people. Mayor Rob McFarland describes the community as one that people want to be part of. “People engage with each other, they care about their community,” McFarland said. He said…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmgqEIDOJ9Y Lake Stevens is respecting its past, even as it builds for the future. That was part of former mayor John Spencer’s vision from his first day in office. “We had the vision to build a town center, and fortunately for us, we already knew where the town center was going to be,” Spencer said. “We had our consultant give us a basic plan, but the big question was what…