Cascadia group proposes a way to handle population growth and avoid Whatcom County sprawl
With the coastal northwest expected to add 3 million-4 million people within 30 years, a cross-border group is proposing a new way to handle the growth that could help Whatcom County avoid sprawl.
The Cascadia Innovation Corridor, an initiative that focuses on the region between Vancouver, B.C., and Portland, Oregon, recently released a 2050 vision report proposing a different way to handle population growth. The region currently has more than 9 million people, according to the report.
“If we are to accommodate this level of growth — a population increase of more than 30% over the next 30 years — incremental improvements to the status quo won’t cut it. We need to move quickly to embrace big, bold ideas that will prepare our mega-region for the continued growth to come and preserve it for future generations,” according to the report.
When it comes to population growth, instead of building out and creating sprawl or building up in a way that leads to high real estate prices, the report proposes building hub cities in underutilized areas and creating a strong public transportation infrastructure — for example, high-speed transit — to allow easier commuting into big cities such as Vancouver, B.C., and Seattle.
“This model reduces emissions and offers the flexibility and affordability that are key to our region’s future success... If successful, it would solidify Cascadia as an example to the world of a truly sustainable mega-region, one that prospers economically because of its ability — not in spite of its failure — to provide for its residents and protect the environment,” the report stated.
The report states upfront that this is merely a proposal, but one the group hopes could gain some traction that would require some major policy changes by lawmakers.
The report notes the tradeoffs made in other U.S. mega population regions: traffic congestion and increased emissions, but low housing costs, for areas that built outward such as the Texas triangle of Houston-Dallas-Austin, and the dense, but expensive, housing in the San Francisco Bay area.
The hub city approach
The report cites the need for four hub cities, built on undeveloped land 40-100 miles from urban core areas such as Seattle. The report indicated the hub cities would need to house around 400,000 people and be near high-speed transit infrastructure.
“This is no small feat and highlights the bold action that is required for our region,” the report stated. “To avoid sprawl and take advantage of (high-speed transit), housing in close proximity to the station should be dense.”
If this idea of hub cities were to take hold, could Whatcom County end up with one? If so, would it serve Seattle, Vancouver, B.C., or both? It would be hard to say, as the current border restrictions remind us that being a hub to the closest metro area of Vancouver, B.C., could be impacted by international rules and regulations, said Laurie Trautman, director at Western Washington University’s Border Policy Research Institute.
“It seems like we were seeing people moving in here from both Seattle and Vancouver for the last few years, though, and if the demand is there for more transit in the future to both cities, then I suspect the infrastructure may follow,” Trautman said, noting that after the COVID-19 pandemic, more employees of Vancouver or Seattle companies might be able to work remotely in Whatcom County.
Already developed areas such as Bellingham and Mount Vernon could also become key high-speed transit links, which could also make them hubs. That will be important in terms of public support for a high-speed transit project, Trautman said.
“Communities like ours would have to see a clear benefit,” Trautman said in an email.
