The Green Futures Lab strives to create habitat and cleaner waterways through the use of floating wetlands. Check out this great video from King County summarizing our Duwamish floating wetland project. | King County TV
Author: In the News
Google’s exit from big Seattle-area project shows fleeting relationship between tech and communities
“What you’re seeing is just another recalibration of the sorts that have been going on for time immemorial between employers and communities,” said Chuck Wolfe, a multinational urbanism consultant and affiliate professor at the University of Washington. | Geek Wire
UW, Pacific County EDC launch housing partnership
UW’s Livable City Year and program and the Pacific County Economic Development Council are working together to tackle important housing planning issues. | Chinook Observer
Benjamin F. McAdoo’s lasting legacy as an architect and activist
Associate Professor Tyler Sprague and senior architecture student Sierra Miles discuss the Benjamin McAdoo Research Collective, which seeks to share and cultivate appreciation for the work of Benjamin F. McAdoo, the first registered Black architect in Washington. | Seattle Times
Homeless People Need Homes – and Money, Too
Gregg Colburn, associate professor of real estate, discusses the relationship, or lack thereof, between homelessness and poverty, and what he believes is the true cause of homelessness. | Washington Post
Elevating the Spirit: Dean Renée Cheng on Architecture’s Role in Our Lives
Haley Ha, SAM’s Manager of Public Engagement at the Asian Art Museum, spoke with Dean Cheng about her background, why equity matters in architecture, and how architecture can respond to ecological concerns. Dean Cheng participated in the University Lecture of the 2022–2023 series at the Seattle Asian Art Museum. | SAMBlog
New faculty books: How your brain works, cycling around the world and more
H. Pike Oliver, affiliate instructor of real estate at UW, and co-author Michael Stockstill new book, “Transforming the Irvine Ranch: Joan Irvine, William Pereira, Ray Watson and The Big Plan”, talks about the history of the University of California campus and its impact on the development of the city.
UW expert says the housing market is the key factor causing homelessness
In this interview with KUOW, Gregg Colburn, associate professor of real estate, discusses his new book “Homelessness is a Housing Problem” and offers insight into how Seattle’s homelessness crisis might be addressed. | KUOW
Partnership for equity and inclusion in design and planning schools welcomes a second cohort of early career fellows!
The Dean’s Equity and Inclusion Initiative, a partnership of now over two dozen U.S. schools and colleges of architecture, landscape architecture, planning, preservation, and design, welcomes a second cohort of 17 early career faculty to the scholarly development program.
Homeless in America
The homelessness crisis continues to get worse. Gregg Colburn, assistant professor of real estate, discusses his research on why we see variation in homelessness across U.S. cities. | The New York Times
Cause of homelessness? It’s not drugs or mental illness, researchers say
As more cities search for explanations and solutions to homelessness, leaders look to data. Gregg Colburn, assistant professor of real estate, is quoted. | Los Angeles Times
What Do We Want From Our Next Seattle?
Architecture graduate students provide options for dense and diverse housing. | The Urbanist
Sweetened beverage taxes produce net economic benefits for lower-income communities
New research from the University of Washington, published June 2 in Food Policy, addressed equity issues surrounding sweetened beverage taxes by examining the economic equity impacts of sweetened beverage taxes in three cities: Seattle, San Francisco and Philadelphia. Philip Hurvitz, affiliate associate professor of urban design and planning is a co-author. | UW News
‘Something has to change:’ These architecture students are challenging Seattle’s housing norms
Architecture 508 Graduate Research Studio students talked about their ideas and solutions to add more housing in Seattle — a well-timed discussion as Seattle is updating its comprehensive plan. | KUOW
UW Ph.D. students hold symposium on the role of technology in urban environments into the future
On May 20th, students hosted the virtual 2022 annual research symposium. The symposium explored the role of technology in our past, present, and future urban environments and how big data, smart cities, and other emerging technologies contribute to a sustainable and equitable world.
The Revolt Against Homelessness
Gregg Colburn, assistant professor of real estate, provides answers to frequently asked questions about housing and homelessness. | The Atlantic
Mayor Harrell’s plan to combat Seattle homeless crisis draws praise
Gregg Colburn, assistant professor of real estate discusses his book and the city’s plan to end homelessness. | King 5
Beloved Communities: College of Built Environments students help historically Black churches survive gentrification
UW CBE students and faculty collaborated with the Nehemiah Initiative to help institutions in historically Black communities like churches and the people they serve survive rapid socioeconomic change. | UW Magazine
Why are condos in Seattle so rare and expensive?
James Young, director of the Washington Center for Real Estate Research, provides insight into why condominiums in Seattle have become rare and expensive. | KUOW
Mariam Kamara Could Profoundly Change Design Pedagogy Everywhere
Mariam Kamara, UW Department of Architecture alumna and Niger-based architect, discusses her revolutionary approaches to architecture pedagogy and design. | Metropolis
How One Architect’s Radical Ideas About Nature Changed American Cities Forever
Thaïsa Way, a professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture, discusses the legacy of Fredrick Law Olmsted in the field of architecture. | Inverse
UW announces John and Rosalind Jacobi Family Endowed Deanship in the College of Built Environments
The University of Washington today announced the establishment of the John and Rosalind Jacobi Family Endowed Deanship in the College of Built Environments, strengthening the school’s vision of a more just and beautiful world for all. | UW News
Is homelessness a housing problem? Two Seattle experts make their case in new book
There’s a big problem when it comes to fixing homelessness: The research-backed solution is not always the one the public agrees with. Gregg Colburn, assistant professor of real estate, is quoted and his new book is discussed. | The Seattle Times
Urbanization is driving evolution of plants globally, study finds
Humans re-shape the environments where they live, with cities being among the most profoundly transformed environments on Earth. New research now shows that these urban environments are altering the way life evolves. Marina Alberti, professor of urban design and planning, and the Urban Ecology Research Lab’s research is highlighted. | UW News
Storied beams: Architectural annotations on resilience and survival in the Chinatown-International District
This is the first installment of an essay series annotating and exploring the intersection of history, architecture, and activism in the Chinatown International District. Jeff Hou, professor of architecture is quoted. | International Examiner
Plant-based data centers
Concrete creates huge carbon emissions. Why can’t data center builders turn that around, and use biological material that stores carbon instead? The Carbon Leadership Forum at the College of Built Environments research is quoted. | Data Center Dynamics
UW professor’s new book presents opportunity to ‘rethink housing’
Gregg Colburn, assistant professor of real estate, believes housing market conditions — specifically, high housing and rental prices, and low vacancy rates — exacerbate economic and personal challenges for society’s most vulnerable. And it’s the housing market, aided by the private and public sectors, that can provide the solution. | UW News
Amazon allocates $42.5M to build 318 affordable apartments near Seattle area light rail stations
Amazon on Tuesday announced that it has allocated $42.5 million to help pay for the construction of 318 affordable apartments near two light rail stations in the greater Seattle area. Gregg Colburn, assistant professor of real estate, is quoted. | GeekWire
Spokane’s housing crunch
James Young, director of the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at the University of Washington speaks on the housing needs in Spokane.
An online world that doesn’t destroy the real one
Three groups of student designers led by UW CBE faculty Drs. Julie Kriegh, Chris Lee and Jan Whittington took on a near-impossible challenge: low-carbon server farms.
ZGF Architects Builds a Transparent and Inclusive Timber Assessment Tool
Upstream, a winner of Metropolis’ inaugural Responsible Disruptors competition, is an open-source calculator that designers with a comprehensive view of the carbon impacts of their wood-based materials choices. Upstream was created in partnership with the College of Built Environments Applied Research Consortium and led by CBE student, Chuou Zhang. | Metropolis
Microsoft shares updates on its $750M affordable housing effort as homelessness crisis continues
Gregg Colburn, assistant professor of real estate, and James Young, director of the Washington Center for Real Estate, discuss the role corporations play in solving the homelessness crisis.
GeekWire
Rising costs a headwind for commercial construction in 2022
The cost of construction materials rose during the fourth quarter at a national average of 1.5%, according to a new report. Seattle led the survey with a 5% quarterly increase. John Schaufelberger, professor and dean emeritus of construction management, is quoted. | Puget Sound Business Journal
Renovated Mills Offer a Perk in the Age of Social Distancing: Space
Developers are converting former grain, textile and water mills into vibrant destinations, saying they offer strategic locations, scenic views and flexible designs that offer ample room. Catherine De Almeida, assistant professor of landscape architecture at CBE is quoted. Source: The New York Times
Why are the B.C. floods so bad? Blame the wildfires, at least in part
Shortly after the end of a devastating wildfire season, many B.C. communities are cleaning up after disastrous floods that have swept away highways, submerged homes, triggered deadly landslides, stranded hundreds of people and forced thousands more to evacuate. Bob Freitag, senior lecturer of urban design, and planning at CBE is quoted. Source: CBC
The internet is killing the environment. These students came up with a brilliant design fix
To reduce the carbon footprint of the internet, students partner with Google and Microsoft to rethink the world’s data centers.
Could landmark designation save Seattle’s Memorial Stadium from demolition?
When Mayor Jenny Durkan announced a deal with Seattle Public Schools earlier this month — which includes a plan to demolish Memorial Stadium at Seattle Center — there was no mention of an option that would preserve and renovate the 74-year-old facility instead. Professor of Architecture, Jeffrey Ochsner quoted. Source: MyNorthwest
12 Talents Shaping the Design World
Minjae Kim, furniture designer and Department of Architecture alum, was named as one of the 12 talents shaping the design world.
What Does DEI Have to Do with Architecture?
Dean Renee Cheng joined ARCHITECT magazine podcast with consultant Nancy Alexander and Perkins&Will principal Gabrielle Bullock to discuss common myths and questions about diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Interdisciplinary course helps empower the local community
Donald King, FAIA, an affiliate professor of architecture and president and CEO of the Nehemiah Initiative Seattle; Rachel Berney, Ph.D., an associate professor of urban design and planning; and Al Levine, an affiliate instructor of real estate. Aaron Fairchild, the CEO and co-founder of Green Canopy and the Nehemiah Initiative talked with Civil Engineering about the McKinley Futures Nehemiah Studio.
PODCAST | Why is Homelessness so Visible in Big West Coast Cities Right now?
Gregg Colburn, assistant professor of real estate, joined ‘Top of Mind with Julie Rose’ to talk homelessness and housing and his upcoming book “Homelessness is a Housing Problem.”
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy honors UW College of Built Environments faculty, Nehemiah Studio for curriculum on mitigating gentrification
The Nehemiah Studio, a UW class on mitigating gentrification in Seattle’s Central District designed by Rachel Berney, Donald King and Al Levine with support from College of Built Environments Dean Renée Cheng, has been honored by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. The course supports joint efforts by the college and the Nehemiah Initiative Seattle to train graduate students to help mitigate displacement in Seattle’s Central District.
Using Afrofuturism principles to keep, grow Black culture in Seattle’s Central District
Seattle’s Central District once was a Black neighborhood. New arrivals and rising property values have pushed African Americans out, but many who have stayed hope to preserve and grow the Black culture that remains. Donald King, professor of architecture, spoke with KNKX All Things Considered.
Ahead of Pride, UW’s Manish Chalana describes the changing neighborhood of Capitol Hill
Manish Chalana, associate professor of urban design and planning, discusses how development can alter the face and fabric of a community,and the role governments can play in the process. He talks specifically about Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.
PODCAST | Kate Simonen on building decarbonization and scaling impact
Kate Simonen, chair of the Department of Architecture, joined Design the Future Podcast to talk decarbonization and scaling impact.