2025 was a big year for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) on the US West Coast. Washington and California both passed major bills that set statewide standards for zoning around transit stations: * SB 79 in California required cities to legalize 6-9 story buildings near transit, with different standards for higher
On Tuesday this week, Governors Kotek and Ferguson announced a major change to the Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) Program: Washington and Oregon are officially taking a new approach to tackling a pair of aging bridges that carry Interstate 5 over the Columbia River, putting off plans for highway widening and
The case for streetcar pessimism
The new year finds Portland in an uneasy position on housing: our pipeline of new construction is drying up, our housing safety net is under attack from all sides, and covid-era population trends that have depressed prices are beginning to reverse. Governor Kotek and Mayor Wilson's slate