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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Why is Seattle’s rent so high? Justice Department investigates possible price fixing
Local leaders are paying attention to a Politico story that broke this week. It says the US Justice Department is opening a criminal investigation into big corporate landlords. The concern is they’re using a third-party algorithm to orchestrate a price-fixing scheme.
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Government
Can your Seattle neighborhood pass the ice cream test? The goal of a 15-minute city
The idea of a 15-minute city is pretty straightforward — a city designed in a way that allows people to easily get to a store, a barber, a café, a restaurant, or wherever they need without having to jump into a car.
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Business
Booming: Seattle's 15-minute makeover, TikTokers fear ban, what's missing from your neighborhood
Who killed the 15-minute city? And what will it take to get it back?
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Seattle's 15-minute makeover
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AI tool helps Seattle landlords collude to keep rents high, report alleges
Why is the rent so high in Seattle? Well, there’s a housing shortage. But there’s also collusion going on between big landlords, according to a new report from the watchdog organization Accountable.US.
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Bainbridge Island residents show new optimism and resolve to revive Washington's ferries
For the first time in many years, Washington state’s ferry system operations are fully funded — but there’s still work to do. That’s what people heard at a “Fix our Ferries Town Hall” on Bainbridge Island over the weekend.
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Government
Corner stores are the cornerstone of Seattle's quest to become a 15-minute city
A "15-minute city" is a city where the shops and restaurants you need are within a 15-minute walk of your home. The city's new comprehensive plan update includes a proposal to achieve that status in part by reviving neighborhood corner stores.
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Will Seattle's new growth plan produce enough housing for newcomers?
Members of the development community are split.
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Business
Booming: New 'mommy track,' Seattle’s housing makeover, cost of living quiz
More new moms than ever before are working, but what if flexible work just deepens long standing inequalities in the workplace?
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The new mommy track