Regional Growth

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Even with the near-term challenges of COVID-19, the region is expected to grow by more than 1.5 million people and 1 million jobs between 2020 and 2050. Managing that growth, while maintaining a high quality of life, will be a key to future economic resiliency. Over the last decade, the region’s housing stock has not kept up with job and population growth, increasing housing costs. The region has a backlog of 45-50,000 housing units just to accommodate recent growth and will need approximately 800,000 new housing units by the year 2050.

These challenges in housing supply have contributed to a rise in people experiencing homelessness in the region. The challenges of housing and homelessness, especially in the region’s urban centers, is a determining factor for new talent and businesses considering locating here.

Over the past year, many of the region’s workers have been working from home. It is not yet clear what the long-term trends will be, but many workers and businesses in the region expect that there will be more remote work and work from home in the future compared to the pre-COVID economy. This is having short-term impact on the region’s employment centers and the region’s transportation system. The region must continue to monitor these trends and work to ensure that future transportation investments support a system that provides a variety of options for moving people and goods throughout the region.

Challenges and Opportunities

The region has identified the following key issues, opportunities, and challenges in sustaining the region’s economy:

The region has a VISION for managing growth

VISION 2050 contains multicounty planning policies, actions, and a regional growth strategy to sustain the region’s healthy environment, thriving communities and a strong economy.

(New/Expanded) Preserving and expanding the affordability and availability of the region’s housing stock

Housing stock in the region is not keeping up with job and population growth, contributing to low supply and housing costs that rank among the highest in the nation.

(New/Expanded) Supporting regional residents experiencing homelessness

Rising numbers of people who are housing unstable and unhoused is a critical problem that impacts the region’s residents as well as perceptions of regional attractiveness to tourists and businesses.

Addressing the proximity of jobs to housing

The proximity of housing to job opportunities and community resources is a key quality of life issue for residents, and a determining factor for new talent considering the area.

Making major investments in transportation

The region needs to continue to invest in a transportation system that moves people and goods throughout the region on roadways, transit, ferries, as well as bike and pedestrian infrastructure.

Strategic Response

The region has identified the following strategic focus areas for addressing identified challenges and opportunities:

Focus new growth in urban areas, regional centers, and cities

The region should look to increase coordination, planning and investment tools to help facilitate the accommodation of projected population and job growth into areas designated for that growth.

Identified near-term actions:

  • Support jobs and housing growth in urban areas, regional centers, and cities with investments in infrastructure, consistent with VISION 2050’s Regional Growth Strategy.
  • Work with jurisdictions with centers to accept anticipated proportional growth and development and continue to support local comprehensive plans that focus growth in centers.
  • Support coordination between counties and cities to move unincorporated urban areas to annexation or incorporation, where feasible.
  • Concentrate industrial business activity within Manufacturing and Industrial Centers regionwide and industrially zoned areas.
  • Encourage land use and transportation plans to support job retention and creation and economic development in all communities.
  • Develop land use around transit stations that maximizes regional transit accessibility for a diverse and equitable mix of residents and businesses.

(New/Expanded) Ensure a diversity of housing stock that is affordable and connected to jobs

The region should work to reduce barriers to the development of new housing and establish a more balanced distribution of employment and housing across the region, including more affordable housing near employment centers and job growth.

Identified near-term actions:

  • Encourage local policies, plans, and incentives that support the development of an adequate supply of workforce housing, housing of different sizes and for different incomes, and removal of barriers to housing production.
  • Expand a sufficient supply of housing to meet the needs of low-income, moderate income, and people with special needs – connected to jobs and distributed equitably throughout the region.
  • Work as a region to support individuals and families who are housing unstable and unhoused in ways that allow for them to participate fully in the economy and their communities.
  • Establish a regional strategy to preserve, improve, and expand housing stock in the region.
  • Coordinate with property managers, developers, and other housing advocates to identify ways to address affordability and expand housing options in the region.

Improve the region’s transportation system

The region needs to continue planned investments in road, transit, ferries, bikes and pedestrian facilities to meet growth, safety and resiliency goals while preparing for future transportation technologies.

Identified near-term actions:

  • Manage new roadway, light rail, transit, and ferry projects to meet or beat projected delivery dates and coordinate timely delivery of transportation improvements to the region.
  • Identify gaps in the transportation system and seismic retrofit plans to be addressed in updates to regional plans and secure funding to address those gaps.
  • Recognize the importance of freight mobility within the region as integral to intraregional circulation needs.
  • Encourage full funding of the Highway Trust Fund by the President and Congress.
  • Continue exploration of potential transportation funding mechanisms at the state and local levels to meet regional transportation goals.
  • Develop a Regional Transportation Plan to address how the region will meet transportation needs into the future, addressing existing needs and expected growth.
  • Identify and reduce policy impediments to the adoption of emerging transportation technologies.

Even with the near-term challenges of COVID-19, the region is expected to grow by more than 1.5 million people and 1 million jobs between 2020 and 2050. Managing that growth, while maintaining a high quality of life, will be a key to future economic resiliency. Over the last decade, the region’s housing stock has not kept up with job and population growth, increasing housing costs. The region has a backlog of 45-50,000 housing units just to accommodate recent growth and will need approximately 800,000 new housing units by the year 2050.

These challenges in housing supply have contributed to a rise in people experiencing homelessness in the region. The challenges of housing and homelessness, especially in the region’s urban centers, is a determining factor for new talent and businesses considering locating here.

Over the past year, many of the region’s workers have been working from home. It is not yet clear what the long-term trends will be, but many workers and businesses in the region expect that there will be more remote work and work from home in the future compared to the pre-COVID economy. This is having short-term impact on the region’s employment centers and the region’s transportation system. The region must continue to monitor these trends and work to ensure that future transportation investments support a system that provides a variety of options for moving people and goods throughout the region.

Challenges and Opportunities

The region has identified the following key issues, opportunities, and challenges in sustaining the region’s economy:

The region has a VISION for managing growth

VISION 2050 contains multicounty planning policies, actions, and a regional growth strategy to sustain the region’s healthy environment, thriving communities and a strong economy.

(New/Expanded) Preserving and expanding the affordability and availability of the region’s housing stock

Housing stock in the region is not keeping up with job and population growth, contributing to low supply and housing costs that rank among the highest in the nation.

(New/Expanded) Supporting regional residents experiencing homelessness

Rising numbers of people who are housing unstable and unhoused is a critical problem that impacts the region’s residents as well as perceptions of regional attractiveness to tourists and businesses.

Addressing the proximity of jobs to housing

The proximity of housing to job opportunities and community resources is a key quality of life issue for residents, and a determining factor for new talent considering the area.

Making major investments in transportation

The region needs to continue to invest in a transportation system that moves people and goods throughout the region on roadways, transit, ferries, as well as bike and pedestrian infrastructure.

Strategic Response

The region has identified the following strategic focus areas for addressing identified challenges and opportunities:

Focus new growth in urban areas, regional centers, and cities

The region should look to increase coordination, planning and investment tools to help facilitate the accommodation of projected population and job growth into areas designated for that growth.

Identified near-term actions:

  • Support jobs and housing growth in urban areas, regional centers, and cities with investments in infrastructure, consistent with VISION 2050’s Regional Growth Strategy.
  • Work with jurisdictions with centers to accept anticipated proportional growth and development and continue to support local comprehensive plans that focus growth in centers.
  • Support coordination between counties and cities to move unincorporated urban areas to annexation or incorporation, where feasible.
  • Concentrate industrial business activity within Manufacturing and Industrial Centers regionwide and industrially zoned areas.
  • Encourage land use and transportation plans to support job retention and creation and economic development in all communities.
  • Develop land use around transit stations that maximizes regional transit accessibility for a diverse and equitable mix of residents and businesses.

(New/Expanded) Ensure a diversity of housing stock that is affordable and connected to jobs

The region should work to reduce barriers to the development of new housing and establish a more balanced distribution of employment and housing across the region, including more affordable housing near employment centers and job growth.

Identified near-term actions:

  • Encourage local policies, plans, and incentives that support the development of an adequate supply of workforce housing, housing of different sizes and for different incomes, and removal of barriers to housing production.
  • Expand a sufficient supply of housing to meet the needs of low-income, moderate income, and people with special needs – connected to jobs and distributed equitably throughout the region.
  • Work as a region to support individuals and families who are housing unstable and unhoused in ways that allow for them to participate fully in the economy and their communities.
  • Establish a regional strategy to preserve, improve, and expand housing stock in the region.
  • Coordinate with property managers, developers, and other housing advocates to identify ways to address affordability and expand housing options in the region.

Improve the region’s transportation system

The region needs to continue planned investments in road, transit, ferries, bikes and pedestrian facilities to meet growth, safety and resiliency goals while preparing for future transportation technologies.

Identified near-term actions:

  • Manage new roadway, light rail, transit, and ferry projects to meet or beat projected delivery dates and coordinate timely delivery of transportation improvements to the region.
  • Identify gaps in the transportation system and seismic retrofit plans to be addressed in updates to regional plans and secure funding to address those gaps.
  • Recognize the importance of freight mobility within the region as integral to intraregional circulation needs.
  • Encourage full funding of the Highway Trust Fund by the President and Congress.
  • Continue exploration of potential transportation funding mechanisms at the state and local levels to meet regional transportation goals.
  • Develop a Regional Transportation Plan to address how the region will meet transportation needs into the future, addressing existing needs and expected growth.
  • Identify and reduce policy impediments to the adoption of emerging transportation technologies.