Joshua McNichols
Growth and Development Reporter
About
As KUOW's Growth and Development reporter and co-host of KUOW's Booming podcast, Joshua's "growing pains" beat sits at the nexus of housing, transportation, urban planning, government and the economy. His favorite stories also include themes of history, technology, and climate change.
Joshua holds a B.A. in Architecture from the University of Washington. Public Radio is his second career; architecture was his first. He is proud of the many odd jobs he's held in his life, such as salmon fisher, author, bike courier, and bed-and-breakfast cook.
Location: Seattle
Languages Spoken: English
Pronouns: he/him
Professional Affiliations: The Society of Professional Journalists, Western Washington Chapter
Stories
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Design review process could be axed to speed up housing production in Washington state
The state legislature advanced a bill this week that would eliminate the time-consuming "design review" process for new housing projects, which builders say could save months of headaches and reduce the administrative cost of producing housing.
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Middle housing bill begins with more support in WA Legislature than last time
After fizzling out last year, a bill that would allow denser housing in cities across Washington state begins the legislative session on a stronger footing.
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Business
Laid off from Microsoft or Amazon? Seattle's still full of opportunities
Getting laid off is hard. But between job openings and startup opportunities, losing a job can be the beginning of a new journey, especially in the Seattle region's tech economy.
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2023 housing strategies proposed by Seattle's top CEOs
As the Washington State legislature gets underway in 2023, two big reports offer guidance on how to tackle the housing shortage. One comes from a group of top CEOs and former Washington governor Christine Gregoire; the other, from the non-profit Urban Institute.
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Reporter's Notebook: How The Ripple Effect series was born
The series focused on affordable housing solutions in greater Seattle
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What's a 'housing benefit district' and why do people want them around light rail stations?
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How to create community out of a bunch of buildings: The Ripple Effect
It takes more than good planning to create a community that’s there for you when plans fall short.
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Four big housing ideas that could reshape greater Seattle: The Ripple Effect
The greater Seattle metro region is a hotbed of housing experimentation right now. In many different cities, people are talking about new ideas, new approaches to this problem of how to build enough housing without tearing apart vulnerable communities in the process.
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What we can learn about Seattle area housing from hermit crabs: The Ripple Effect
When housing becomes too expensive, people wind up getting pushed out before they’re ready. If you could step back and observe from a distance how people move from one place to another, it would look like ripples on the surface of a tidepool, extending outward.
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How displacement feels in this South Seattle community: The Ripple Effect
Below market rent prices have attracted a lot of new residents to the South Park neighborhood, where existing residents are especially vulnerable to being pushed out.