Joshua McNichols
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
Podcasts
Stories
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In Burien, an unusual affordable housing experiment gains steam
Buying a home is out of reach for most low-income families in the ultra-expensive greater Seattle metro area. The city of Burien is trying to change that. It's experimenting with tiny cottages, with up to two bedrooms, that families earning less than $50,000 per year can buy.
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Seattle gets a little more ambitious as it updates its growth plan
It’s been eight years since Seattle updated its comprehensive plan. That’s the document that says where the city will allow new homes. In that time, we’ve seen a dramatic population growth, a pandemic, downtown got knocked off its feet, we had protests against racial inequity, and there’s a climate crisis. All of those things are changing how the city thinks about how it should grow going forward.
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Emergency Covid orders are ending. Where does that leave renters and landlords?
Covid emergency measures end Monday, Oct. 31 in both Seattle and Washington state. Those emergency orders include protections for tenants who fall behind on their rent. KUOW looked into what their expiration means for renters and their landlords.
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Seattle home prices down a smidge, but nowhere close to affordable yet
Various indicators show a slowdown in the real estate market in the central Puget Sound area. That’s raised hopes that homes could become much more affordable soon. Don't hold your breath.
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Disappointed inner tubers and beat up salmon: observations from a dry year
This summer was Washington’s driest on record. October usually brings rain and cooling. But not this year. All over Western Washington, rivers are setting new records for low flow.
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Can WA build a new airport and meet its climate goals?
A state-appointed commission recently proposed expanding service at Paine Field in Everett and adding a new new airport at one of three sites in Pierce and Thurston counties. But critics say the state's airport plans contradict its goal to lower emissions.
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Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood gets 'historic district' status
The neighborhood of Wallingford got a little more recognition at a meeting today. In a unanimous vote, a group of experts decided that Wallingford should be awarded "historic district" status for its collection of historic buildings and houses. But critics are worried about the decision's repercussions, as the region faces a critical shortage of housing.
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New airport would put Washington's climate goals out of reach, critics argue
The Puget Sound region is growing, and air travel is growing with it. By the year 2050, the number of flights here could more than double. But critics of that outlook say we should be curbing greenhouse gas emissions – not raising them.
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No place for workers to live? Whidbey Island town aims to fix that
In recent years, the small Whidbey Island town of Langley has rolled out a slew of zoning reforms, meant to encourage the production of new homes. It offers a model for the rest of Washington State. But it's also brought up big questions for residents about what they want their community to be.
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What to do about low Black homeownership in Washington state
One local leader has been thinking a lot about a report that came out last week, which revealed low homeownership among Washington’s Black families, as compared to white families. Michael Brown, leader of the Seattle Foundation's Black Home Initiative, said the report is evidence that the region's wealth is not being shared.