By Marc Stiles
Puget Sound Business Journal
Seattle - Ed Murray announced sweeping changes for how the city manages and plans for growth.
The current Department of Planning and Development (DPD) will be downsized, and the city will create a new cabinet-level agency called the Office of Planning and Community Development. The new office will be made up of a mix of planners from across city departments, such as Transportation and Parks. The idea is to plan more holistically, said Murray, who added that longtime DPD Director Diane Sugimura will retire later this year.
The move comes at a time when Seattle’s skyline is lined with construction cranes.
There are more than 100 active projects in the greater downtown Seattle area, and the city is one of the fastest-growing in the U.S. Companies from all over the U.S. are opening offices in and around the city, which is contributing to a rise in home prices and rents throughout the region.
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