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Establishing a “Sense of Place”

Barry Cassidy

Publication file

More from this column

  • Article

    Seattle 2026

    While in Seattle, I am documenting the decline of a downtown area. A combination of factors has led the city to focus more of its efforts on the market area near Elliot Bay. Things have not changed much since last year. The astounding number of street-level vacancies shows a shrinking city. There are long strings of v...

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  • Article

    Another Road Trip

    On May 15, I will begin my annual economic development survey of 70 cities. This is the fourth year, and I plan to make one more trip in 2027. I first took the trip in May 2021, when the Lockdown was winding down. I classified every storefront using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), a standard...

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  • Article

    Housing Affordability and Demand

    I have been closely examining the issues surrounding housing affordability. It seems that conflicting interests and a lack of understanding dominate many of these issues. As with everything today, people become passionate about issues that intersect with others, creating a whirlwind of conflict. I have managed large h...

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