City of Tacoma to Receive Governor's Smart Communities Award
On Thursday, the City of Tacoma will be among several Washington municipalities presented with 2010 Governor’s Smart Communities Awards. The honorees, announced on June 4th, were selected for characteristics which set them apart as models of smart growth. Other cities selected were Bellevue, Vancouver (where the awards will be presented), Snoqualmie, Chehalis and Duvall.
The City of Tacoma was selected for recognition due to its high-density Mixed-Used Center plans and its Comprehensive Plan endeavor. These efforts are deemed to be consistent with the state’s Growth Management Act.
Though many factors are integral to smart growth, the Smart Communities Awards are a function of the state’s Department of Commerce. As such, they reflect the key concerns of that agency in an economy transitioning toward recovery. Tacoma’s selection for this award shows that our City is keeping in step with state-wide goals for housing, business, transportation and revitalization.
Tacoma has been recognized during the Governor’s Smart Communities Awards process in the past, receiving a Judge’s Merit Award in the 2007 for the Salishan Redevelopment Project.
Many long hours were spent formulating and debating the tenets of the Mixed-Center plans — parking requirements being a major element. Does this award from Governor Gregoire provide some confirmation that a substantive advancement has been made in Tacoma’s approach to development? Thoughts?
Filed under: General
2 comments
A anthony June 22, 2010
spending some time in Orange County and I can’t tell you how much I miss our mixed density. Everything down here is sprawl and lots of it. Walking isn’t an option. Tacoma has a nice mix of city living, large lot homes, and semi-suburban homes. It’s also a good size geographically for the population base. It’s easy to move around on foot and by car (though bicycle is a bit challenging). Commuting to Seattle also has 3 good alternatives: easy train, semi-easy drive (depending on the day) and semi-decent bus service.
J Jesse June 22, 2010
Chehalis? Really?
The Wal-Mart and the flooding has destroyed that town.
But Tacoma deserves it with the new zoning plans and the fact they’re working on the whole parking requirement law thing and laws/tax code that encourage density. They could always do better by plagerizing (sp?) successful laws from other towns instead of trying to re-invent the wheel every time and for every nuance.