The Puget Sound region provides a case study for the spread of poverty to suburban areas, and some region-specific recommendations for how to combat the challenges that result.
Robert Steuteville shares news of the new "Combating the Suburbanization of Poverty" [pdf[ report released this month by the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU). " "The suburbs are becoming far more diverse all across the US," writes Steuteville. "Low-income people are moving from areas with high access to transportation and services, to areas of low access."
The report focuses on the Seattle region as a case study of this national trend. The number of people in poverty in the suburbs around the region grew four times as fast as the number of people in poverty in Seattle and Tacoma combined.
Those facts are troubling, according to Steuteville, because "the suburbs can be a poverty trap" due to the extra costs of transportation that come with suburban living. Transportation planning in Puget Sound region, like in most metropolitan regions around the country, have not kept up with demographic changes in the region.
Among the recommendations presented by Steuteville in the article is to link the infrastructure investment generated by Sound Transit 3, approved in November 2016, to poverty reduction.
FULL STORY: Why we should take suburban poverty seriously
Disaster Shelters Housing the Homeless in Washington
Structures initially intended to temporarily house disaster victims are serving a new purpose in Tacoma, Washington—sheltering homeless people and getting them on the path to more permanent housing.
Tools for Addressing the Suburbanization of Poverty
Suburban poverty is reading, here are a few ways to understand what that means.
Tacoma's Growing Transit System
Tacoma is growing, so the city is expanding light rail and introducing bus rapid transit.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research