Planned communities

Renton is promoting a diverse workforce, and that means promoting a diverse population.

Having a place to work is essential, but our city needs to focus on living as well. Renton has the potential to grow with annexation. Lands in East Plateau, Fairwood, and Maple Heights Lake Desire are ripe for redevelopment. Areas near the Issaquah-Tahoma schools border have vast, open farmland and forests we can plan and redevelop.

What is the specialty of planned community development? We don’t have to rely on home builders and developers to build loosely like how most cities have it now. It will also promote better transit to Renton’s neighbors.

An example is the Issaquah Highlands. Visit just off Exit 18 on I-90 or drive up Issaquah Hobart road, and see how well done it is. Issaquah went through extensive work to figure out way-finding, who lease what, and how to keep the town modern and ripe. A community like this on the Eastern borders of Renton’s PAAs can create a new community and attract tech employers along with their employers.

A planned community should have all essential components a modern neighborhood needs.

Doug Baldwin teams with Renton to create family community center
https://www.q13fox.com/2019/08/26/after-football-seahawks-doug-baldwin-turns-passion-to-building-family-center/amp/

A place for the community to gather and learn is a good start, along with abundant retail and home tenants. In a planned community, roads should be relaxed and allow passing when buildings are nearby or become one way. The planners and city must control the land themselves, and not have a developer sell it so that it can align with the planned vision. Afterward, the city needs to work with a nearby school district to build any necessary amenities or new schools. Finally, the city needs to attract a population before expecting any growth. The city must control growth, and tailor it over time with features like transit and art instead of starting right away. Higher quality developers and companies will have interest for “extra” additions if there is evidence it will pay off.

In conclusion, Renton needs something like this to support its growth responsibly. Developments in downtown will surely attract people, but the work for livability must be done.