Booming

Washington is a wealthy state.... that needs more money. So a couple years ago, it tried a new way to tax rich people. It’s called the capital gains tax, but an initiative on the ballot could kill it this November. On this week’s episode of Booming , we dig into Initiative 2109. Is the capital gains tax doing what it's supposed to do? What would a fair tax system actually look like here in Washing...

What would it take to put the shine back on our cities? Seattle used to be a superstar city...a technopolis by the sea. Companies, and their employees, wanted to move here. But for several years now, it’s felt like some of that glitter has gone. And it’s not just Seattle – downtowns across the country are struggling.  On this episode of Booming , Joshua heads to the International Downtown Associat...

Washington's gas prices are among the highest in the country. Some blame the state’s efforts to reduce climate change for the extra cost at the pump. This November, they’ve put those concerns on the ballot. Initiative 2117 aims to cut prices at the pump by cutting the state's plan to reduce fossil fuels. But would killing that plan -- known as the Climate Commitment Act -- result in even higher pr...

Maybe you’ve noticed: Seattle traffic is back. And not just during rush hour. It’s busy  all the time . But there's a transportation levy on the ballot in Seattle this November, and it's the biggest one we’ve ever seen. So, will $1.55 billion buy us better commutes? Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. B...

There’s something unusual happening to property values in Seattle right now. As housing prices continue to climb, the value of commercial property is taking a big plunge. The County Assessor warns office buildings will be worth 30-40% less next year. This is a historic shift. And it will have impacts on the cost of living for all of us. That might not sit well with people who are already feeling t...

Like it or not, "smart robots" enabled with artificial intelligence are taking on jobs that only humans used to do - maybe even yours. Whether that's something to fear or embrace depends on whether the robot could replace you, or actually make you smarter. In this episode, Joshua tags along with a robot "inspector" on an apartment tower construction site. The robot makes the rounds each day, helpi...

Seattle is littered with buildings that seem obsolete in our post-pandemic economy. Now an unprecedented number of them are going up for sale and selling at deep discounts. Some of those new owners will renovate to retain the history or character of a building. Others will tear them down and start again. In a Booming city like Seattle, we need to use every square foot of space. So how do we build...

In the months following Boeing’s now-infamous door panel blowout, speculation has swirled that the company’s troubles can be traced back to its decision to outsource so much of its manufacturing. It’s easy to accuse Boeing of putting profits above all else, but economy reporter Monica Nickelsburg wanted to understand what went into that decision and why the economics of building airplanes are so w...

Guaranteed basic income is an anti-poverty policy gaining traction in Washington state. Tacoma just started its second basic income pilot, on the heels of a separate King County pilot. We sat down with Natalie Foster, the architect of more than 130 basic income pilots across the country to understand a surprising finding from King County’s basic income experiment, and what it means for the economy...

Cities around the country are facing down a catch-22. In just a few short years, they need to somehow get off of fossil fuels while meeting surging electricity demand. The crisis is especially acute in the Seattle area, where demand for power is expected to increase by up to 50% and new energy-hungry datacenters are cropping up all the time. On this episode of Booming , we uncover a surprising sol...

This week on Booming , can electric vehicles really save us from our fossil fuel addiction? Economy reporter Monica Nickelsburg went searching for a "Tesla Graveyard." What she found reveals how complicated our transition to a greener transportation future will be. Plus, our growth reporter Joshua McNichols takes us to opening day of the light rail that could transform one of the most car-centric...

We know Washington's cities are booming, attracting thousands of newcomers each year. But did you know demand for Pacific Northwest campgrounds and trails is growing even faster? This week on Booming: why landing a good spot outdoors can feel harder than scoring Taylor Swift tickets, and what you can do to get around the campground crunch. Plus, we'll put our new campsite hunting tools to the test...

Boeing's hiring of its new CEO of Commercial Airplanes is the latest in a series of women who finally break through the glass ceiling at male-dominated companies, but only when there's a crisis to solve. Researchers call this the glass cliff. It can be a once-in-a-career opportunity for women, but it can also be a huge professional liability. This week on Booming, we ask an expert why the glass cl...

Who killed the 15-minute city? And what will it take to get it back? Seattle leaders have a plan to turn NIMBYs into YIMBYs. They're betting they can get residents to say "yes in my back yard" to growth if Seattle becomes a 15-minute city. That means changing laws so that everything you need is a 15-minute walk, bike, or bus ride from your home. This week on Booming, we travel to Georgetown, which...

More American women with young children are working than ever before, thanks in part to the rise of remote work. That has clear benefits for the economy and individuals. But hybrid work may not be a golden ticket to career advancement and satisfaction we think it is. Plus, Seattle leaders unveil their long awaited 20-year plan for the city, and we go back in time to see what housing and child care...

The Washington State ferry system is down by a third of its fleet. That’s leaving people up and down Puget Sound stranded, intermittently severing them from their jobs, schools and doctors. But out of this crisis, a solution is gaining steam: “mosquito fleets” of smaller, more efficient passenger-only ferries. And they’re helping shape downtowns like Bremerton into more walkable communities. Plus:...

Gen Z and millennial workers have become a punchline for media pundits and TikTok comedians. Young people get a bad rap for refusing to go above and beyond at work. Is this just the latest battle in an endless generational war, or do young people really have less work ethic? And if so, what's driving the shift? KUOW's economy reporters Monica Nickelsburg and Joshua McNichols have answers in this e...

Seattle is running out of room. Could tiny, Tokyo-style apartments be part of the solution? How much space do we really need? Residents of a new Seattle-area micro-apartment building say not much. Units go for less than studios in the same neighborhood, allowing barbers, seniors, and other folks on low incomes to live in an expensive tech hub. State lawmakers think micro-apartments could be one so...

The Seattle area's been home to many booms over the years. It’s brought jobs, people and wealth to the region, but also real growing pains that people here feel every day. In Booming , KUOW economy reporters Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg explore hidden connections between technology, cities, work and our day-to-day experiences. We’ll ask the important question: how can more of us benefit...