Applying Value Capture in the Seattle Region

The four-county central Puget Sound region enters the 21 century with a profusion of ambitious development plans. VISION 2020, mandated by Washington state’s Growth Management Act, calls for most new growth to be contained within existing urban areas—in compact communities and vibrant mixed-use centres. The Metropolitan Transportation Plan calls for a wide range of programs and projects designed to integrate land use and transportation, with an emphasis on high capacity transit. As the Seattle region enters the implementation phase of its numerous plans, the arduous task of finding adequate financial resources has begun to perplex local elected officials. Public agency managers struggling with the complexities of plan implementation are also coming around to the view that capital funding alone will not achieve the desired outcomes, but that built-in financial incentives will be needed.