Annual awards recognize outstanding work in community planning and development Olympia, Wash. — The Washington State Department of Commerce has opened nominations for the 18th annual Governor’s Smart Communities Awards, a program that recognizes outstanding work by local governments and their partners on long-term community planning and development. Nominations feature the best our state has to offer in collaborative community development and local comprehensive planning. Community leaders look to this…
Annual awards recognize excellence, creativity, collaboration in land use planning and development OLYMPIA, WA — The Washington State Department of Commerce is pleased to announce the 11 winners of the 2023 Governor’s Smart Communities Awards. Presented annually since 2006, the Smart Communities Awards program recognizes local governments and their partners for exceptional land use planning and development. The awards showcase effective implementation of the state’s Growth Management Act (GMA). The honored…
The nomination window for the 2023 Governor’s Smart Community Awards is now closed. We want to thank everyone for their amazing submissions. Our judges will work furiously over the coming weeks to review the applications and select winners for the Smart Awards categories. You should expect to hear more about winners later this summer. These awards highlight the actions of local governments and their partners across our great state, providing…
Annual awards program celebrates excellence in planning for future growth, livable communities Olympia, WA — The Washington State Department of Commerce is seeking nominations for the 17th annual Governor’s Smart Communities Awards, a program that recognizes outstanding work by local governments and their partners on community planning and development. For almost 20 years, this program has celebrated the accomplishments of local communities that make Washington state an extraordinary place to…
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…