2026 AA Explorer | Smart Growth

TOPIC 5

Smart Growth

SUSTAINABLE LAND USE

About the Action Agenda Explorer

Overview Implementation Progress

Overview

VITAL SIGNS

Ensure smart development and protect working lands, intact habitats, and natural processes by directing population growth into areas intended for more intense development (such as transit-oriented cities, urban growth areas) while maintaining easy access to natural spaces.

Forested lands and agricultural areas, along with natural areas, play a significant role in keeping Puget Sound healthy. These lands absorb water, support wildlife, and provide food, jobs, and places for people to connect with nature. They also serve as scenic backdrops and shape our communities’ sense of place and identity.

As the population grows throughout Puget Sound, these natural and working lands are at risk as development pressure converts undeveloped lands into buildings and roads, disrupting water flow and eliminating habitat. With the region expected to grow by 1.7 million new residents by 2050, it is essential to balance affordable development and infrastructure improvements with the protection of working lands, natural areas, and culturally valued lands. This will welcome new residents and offer a greater sense of place for everyone while protecting our natural systems.

The Strategies in the Smart Growth Topic aim to direct population growth into urban growth areas (UGAs) that are already set up for new development. This will reduce pressure on existing working lands and undeveloped, ecologically important lands. This will also reduce our reliance on single-person vehicles, promote the use of public transit and other transportation options, and lower vehicle emissions.

Dense communities still need trees, parks, and green spaces to provide protection from droughts, heat waves, and to manage stormwater. Protecting urban green spaces and open areas stores carbon and supports long-term resilience to changing conditions on the landscape.

To achieve smart growth, we need strong collaboration across sectors and communities, including transportation authorities, housing agencies, local governments, builders, community organizations, cultural centers, and representatives from under-represented or impacted communities. It is also important to make sure that growth strategies reflect what people want and need, as public opinion is key to successful implementation.

Affordability is a primary reason that less developed areas are attractive to developers. Because of this, we must improve incentives and regulations that promote responsible and affordable in-fill development (development within cities and urban communities).

This includes updating local land use plans and the state’s Growth Management Act (GMA) to better protect natural lands and make it easier to build responsibly in the right places. Creating incentives for development in city centers can also help meet market demands while directing growth away from working lands and ecologically important lands that we need to protect. Additional Strategies that focus on planning for human infrastructure that protects ecosystem functions are addressed under the Action Agenda Topics for Stormwater Runoff, Agriculture Land Protection, Working Forest Land Protection, and Healthy Shorelines.

Strategies and Actions

Strategy Action

Strategy Action

What We're Tracking

The Partnership uses a system of indicators and targets to monitor our progress implementing regional priorities and movement towards Puget Sound recovery goals. Commitments describe activities that partners and the Partnership pledge to pursue over the next four years to implement the Action Agenda and/or the Salmon Recovery Plan. Progress Indicators track human activities that impact ecosystem health. Vital Sign Indicators track the status and trends of ecosystem conditions, including human health and quality of life.

2026-2030 Commitments

Commitments describe activities that partners and the Partnership pledge to pursue over the next four years to implement the Action Agenda and/or the Salmon Recovery Plan.

Organization	Description	Status
Association of Washington Cities	Commitment: Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) and the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) will work with partners, coordinated groups, and Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) staff to identify where shared priorities exist and collaborate to advance them through 2027.
Association of Washington Cities	Commitment: Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) and the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) will contribute local government perspectives to forums (e.g., ecological improvement work group, riparian task force) created to identify specific policy changes that improve land use and growth management laws and implementing regulations to support salmon recovery by the end of fiscal year 2027.
Association of Washington Cities	Commitment: Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) will work with Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) to consult with their relevant members to gather input on factors leading to land conversion within their jurisdictions through 2027.
Association of Washington Cities	Commitment: Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) will assist their relevant members with understanding the implementation of any policy changes related to integrating local salmon recovery plans into long-term planning through 2027.
Association of Washington Cities	Commitment: Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) will work with Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) to ensure their relevant members are aware of and consider using relevant salmon recovery information (e.g., state, regional and local salmon recovery plans, Commerce?s guidance related to critical areas, Fish and Wildlife?s priority habitats and species, Sound Choices Checklist, etc.) as it relates to habitat protection through 2027.
Association of Washington Cities	Commitment: Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) will provide opportunities for Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) to work with member jurisdictions to identify challenges with and improve local permit and code enforcement and compliance by providing education and resources, hosting forums, etc. through 2027.
Association of Washington Cities	Commitment: Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) will work with the Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) to share out and encourage the use of new tools to their members that are relevant to planning and salmon recovery through 2027.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration	Commitment: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will convene federal agencies, including Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), to partner with Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Washington State Department of Ecology (ECY), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), and other agencies to proactively address stormwater pollution from the regional transportation system through 2026.
Puget Sound Conservation Districts Caucus	Commitment: Puget Sound Conservation Districts (PSCDs) will continue working with landowners/managers, communities, and partners to deliver and expand Green Infrastructure-aligned and Better Ground Trees for Resilience initiative-aligned services that improve air quality through tree canopy retention and enhancement, support reductions in outdoor burning through chipper day events and biochar kiln equipment rentals/loans, and improve water quality through Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI)/Stormwater/Pathogens/Nutrient reducing practices through 2030 and beyond.
Puget Sound Conservation Districts Caucus	Commitment: Puget Sound Conservation Districts (PSCDs) will continue working with landowners/managers and partners to support enrollment of land in current use and easement programs. Support includes providing letters of support for funding, implementing Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) projects, and delivering associated technical planning services. Some PSCD geographies will participate in the Bonneville Environmental Foundation Regional Carbon Collector program to enroll land in a long-term carbon storage registry.
Puget Sound Conservation Districts Caucus	Commitment: Puget Sound Conservation Districts (PSCDs) will continue working with landowners/managers, cities, and other partners to implement and construct bioswales and rain gardens in partnership through 2030 and beyond.
Puget Sound Conservation Districts Caucus	Commitment: Puget Sound Conservation Districts (PSCDs) will continue working with landowners/managers and other partners to increase land area under active stewardship through 2030 and beyond.
Puget Sound Conservation Districts Caucus	Commitment: Puget Sound Conservation Districts (PSCDs) will continue working with cities and communities to implement urban tree canopy enhancement programs and projects through 2030 and beyond.
Puget Sound Conservation Districts Caucus	Commitment: Puget Sound Conservation Districts (PSCDs) will continue working with residents and landowners/managers to plan and implement hedgerow projects through 2030 and beyond.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) will support the state legislature in identifying and making improvements to land use laws (Growth Management Act, Shoreline Management Act, etc.) and implementation resources through 2027.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) will prepare county summaries of related Progress Indicators (Urban Growth, Farmland Conversion, Forestland Conversion (if available)) to support analyses related to the drivers of continued conversion of natural resource lands through 2027.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) will map out the next comprehensive plan update cycle including engagement points during the process, review current comprehensive plans for if/how salmon recovery is included, and develop proposed language to integrate salmon recovery into the utilities and transportation elements.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) will advance support for and development of tools for sustainable local land and natural resource management across Puget Sound through 2027.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) will continue to invest in the next phase of the Future Scenarios project focusing on accessibility, relevance, and application of the data and findings through 2027.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) will conduct a needs assessment with local partners such as Local Integrating Organizations (LIO), Lead Entities (LE), and local planning staff to determine if new tools are needed, existing tools are missing features, or if there are connections to make at the local level to incorporate tools into their planning processes. This will begin with tools to support shoreline planning updates per the Shoreline Management Act (SMA) rule making aligned with Shoreline Master Plan (SMP) update timelines and can expand from there to other topic areas, through 2027 and beyond.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Ecosystem Coordination Board (ECB) will explore challenges regarding local government compliance and enforcement and develop recommendations for how to address them through 2027.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Ecosystem Coordination Board (ECB) will address land conversion pressures on critical areas and floodways by identifying and amplifying examples of incentives or protection measures around Puget Sound that have successfully disrupted or slowed land conversion through 2027.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Ecosystem Coordination Board (ECB) will explore options with state partners to provide support for critical area mapping and tracking through 2027.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Ecosystem Coordination Board (ECB) will engage and educate the public to encourage the protection and restoration of ecologically important areas through 2027.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Ecosystem Coordination Board (ECB) will explore and recommend new ways to distribute resources and tools for local governments by 2027.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Leadership Council (LC) will work with other Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) boards to identify specific policy changes that are needed to improve land use and growth management laws and implementing regulations by the end of fiscal year 2027.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Leadership Council (LC) will advocate for policy and funding needs, including recommendations from the Ecosystem Coordination Board (ECB) Land Use Subcommittee, to slow or limit land conversion through 2027.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Leadership Council (LC) will support forums around infrastructure/transportation/salmon topics to help de-silo by the end of fiscal year 2027.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Lead Entities will engage in the development (provide expertise, data, etc.) of decision-making tools for local governments through 2027.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Local Integrating Organization (LIO) Coordinators will consult with their respective Lead Entity to integrate local salmon recovery priorities into the LIO Action Plans, as applicable, through 2028.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Salmon Recovery Council (SRC) will consult with other Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) boards to identify specific policy changes that are needed to improve land use and growth management laws and implementing regulations as well as the state hydraulic code by the end of fiscal year 2027.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Salmon Recovery Council (SRC) will hold a forum that highlights a case study (to be determined) to identify implementable recommendations to minimize or avoid the impacts of drivers that enable land conversion for local governments to adopt by the end of fiscal year 2027.
Puget Sound Partnership	Commitment: Salmon Recovery Council (SRC) will hold forums around infrastructure/transportation/salmon topics to help de-silo by the end of fiscal year 2027.
Puget Sound Regional Council	Commitment: Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) will work with member jurisdictions to focus growth in urban areas, centers, and transit station areas and preserve resource lands and critical areas through 2027.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency	Commitment: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will convene federal agencies, including the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), to partner with Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Washington State Department of Ecology (ECY), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), and other agencies to proactively address stormwater pollution from the regional transportation system through 2026.
Washington Conservation Action	Commitment: Washington Conservation Action (WCA) will work alongside Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) on exploring and developing pilot programs and frameworks for expanding a net ecological gain framework from the current no net loss regulation through 2030.
Washington Conservation Action	Commitment: Washington Conservation Action (WCA) will work with Kitsap County on their Kitsap Natural Resource Asset Management Program and its partners outside the county government to identify overlapping priorities for floodplain restoration including the acquisition of important riparian and upland forest areas of watersheds through 2026.
Washington Conservation Action	Commitment: Washington Conservation Action (WCA) will begin partnering with other jurisdictions and state agencies on programs similar to Kitsap Natural Resource Asset Management Program to identify priority watersheds for floodplain restoration through land transfers and easements through 2030.
Washington Conservation Action	Commitment: Washington Conservation Action (WCA) will explore idea of net gain instead of no net loss for salmon habitat protection/restoration through 2030.
Washington Conservation Action	Commitment: Washington Conservation Action (WCA) will engage in meaningful rulemaking on shoreline and growth management acts through 2027.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife	Commitment: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will strive to develop and implement a statewide standard for how counties and cities establish and adaptively manage protective measures (Growth Management Act/Shoreline Management Act regulations) to meet statewide ecosystem service goals, with consideration for regional differences between eastern and western Washington by 2028.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife	Commitment: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will strive to provide recommendations in comment letters for all jurisdictions engaged in their Comprehensive Plan and Critical Area Ordinance updates in Puget Sound by 2027.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife	Commitment: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will encourage jurisdictions to specifically reference their local salmon recovery and watershed plans in their comprehensive plan. Overarching comprehensive plan policies filter into development regulations with potential improvements to fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas and increased riparian buffers through 2027.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife	Commitment: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will strive to provide web access to Riparian Data Engine through June 2026 and to Priority Habitats and Species information, existing High Resolution Change Detection data, and updated fish passage data on an ongoing basis.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife	Commitment: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will strive to participate in interagency coordination efforts to local communities to assist in climate change adaptation and resiliency through the 2025-2027 biennium.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife	Commitment: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) commit that Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead (HSIL) 2.0 will strive to share the findings of Industrial Economics? work that is connected to land conversion by June 2026 (pending contractor capacity to perform this work under the Puget Sound Partnership EPA Base Program IS Science Award).
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife	Commitment: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) commit that Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead (HSIL) 2.0 will strive to amplify and share out the results of funded subawards addressing land use conversion, tools to reduce land use conversion, and capacity for advancing habitat protection and restoration efforts through June 2028.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife	Commitment: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) commit that Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead (HSIL) 2.0 will strive to work closely with land use planners and allied professionals to better connect the Puget Sound recovery goals to the land use planners in the region through June 2026.
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife	Commitment: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Washington State Department of Natural Resources commit that Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead (HSIL) 2.0 will strive to coordinate with Washington State Department of Commerce (COM) and the Stormwater Strategic Initiative Lead (SW SIL) to continue building a community of practice and idea/solution exchange for land use planners through June 2026.
Washington State Association of Counties	Commitment: Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) and Association of Washington Cities (AWC) will work with partners, coordinated groups, and Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) staff to identify where shared priorities exist and collaborate to advance them through 2027.
Washington State Association of Counties	Commitment: Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) and Association of Washington Cities (AWC) will contribute local government perspectives to forums (e.g., ecological improvement work group, riparian task force) created to identify specific policy changes that improve land use and growth management laws and implementing regulations to support salmon recovery by the end of fiscal year 2027.
Washington State Association of Counties	Commitment: Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) will provide a venue through the Counties Coastal Caucus and/or affiliate organizations such as the County Planning Directors Association and County Engineers Association for the Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) to present new information or highlight learning opportunities for appropriate staff through 2027.
Washington State Association of Counties	Commitment: Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) will provide a venue through the Counties Coastal Caucus and/or affiliate organizations such as the County Planning Directors Association and County Engineers Association for the Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) to present information and/or recommendations and seek local government feedback through 2027.
Washington State Association of Counties	Commitment: Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) will work with Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) to consult with their relevant members to gather input on factors leading to land conversion within their jurisdictions through 2027.
Washington State Association of Counties	Commitment: Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) will assist their relevant members with understanding the implementation of any policy changes related to integrating local salmon recovery plans into long-term planning through 2027.
Washington State Association of Counties	Commitment: Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) will work with Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) to ensure their relevant members are aware of and consider using relevant salmon recovery information (e.g., state, regional and local salmon recovery plans, Commerce?s guidance related to critical areas, Fish and Wildlife?s priority habitats and species, Sound Choices Checklist, etc.) as it relates to habitat protection through 2027.
Washington State Association of Counties	Commitment: Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) will provide opportunities for Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) to work with member jurisdictions to identify challenges with and improve local permit and code enforcement and compliance by providing education and resources, hosting forums, etc. through 2027.
Washington State Association of Counties	Commitment: Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) will work with the Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) to share out and encourage the use of new tools to their members that are relevant to planning and salmon recovery through 2027.
Washington State Department of Commerce	Commitment: Washington State Department of Commerce (COM) will provide Growth Management Act guidance and technical assistance to local governments - workshops, one-on-one technical assistance to planning staff, planning commissions, and elected officials through 2030.
Washington State Department of Commerce	Commitment: Washington State Department of Commerce (COM) will provide funding to local governments for comprehensive plan updates - over the next biennium this includes periodic update grants, salmon recovery through local planning grants, and climate element grants through 2027.
Washington State Department of Commerce	Commitment: Washington State Department of Commerce (COM) will collaborate closely with both local governments and state agency partners on incorporating best available science into critical areas regulations and comprehensive plan elements, like climate resiliency, through 2027.
Washington State Department of Commerce	Commitment: Washington State Department of Commerce (COM) will implement salmon recovery through their local planning grant program for local governments that supports the integration of salmon recovery plans into long-range planning through 2027.
Washington State Department of Commerce	Commitment: Washington State Department of Commerce (COM) will explore how to broaden outreach and education and reduce barriers for local governments interested in the salmon recovery grant program, so that more local governments apply during the next grant round.
Washington State Department of Commerce	Commitment: Washington State Department of Commerce (COM) will provide resources for local governments to enhance their local permit and code enforcement strategies through 2030.
Washington State Department of Commerce	Commitment: Washington State Department of Commerce (COM) will conduct routine education and outreach efforts to assist local planners in understanding and complying with their responsibilities under the Growth Management Act through 2030.
Washington State Department of Commerce	Commitment: Washington State Department of Commerce (COM) will continue current work providing technical assistance and guidance through 2030.
Washington State Department of Commerce	Commitment: Washington State Department of Commerce (COM) will engage in the Shoreline Management Act rulemaking process to see where there is alignment with Growth Management Act and what they might learn from their process through 2027.
Washington State Department of Ecology	Commitment: Washington State Department of Ecology (ECY) will provide data, as requested, that could inform tool development by 2027.
Washington State Department of Ecology	Commitment: Washington State Department of Ecology (ECY) will, as opportunities arise, encourage distribution of tools to local governments through 2030.
Washington State Department of Natural Resources	Commitment: Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will work with salmon recovery partners to assess salmon habitat restoration opportunities on DNR lands through 2027.
Washington State Department of Transportation	Commitment: Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will implement and update ecological restoration best practices through design, construction, and maintenance as outlined in agency manuals to support salmon recovery goals and promote climate resilience for projects through 2027.
Washington State Department of Transportation	Commitment: Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will identify opportunities for enhancing and creating carbon sequestration efforts in the Puget Sound ecosystems through the Roadside Program?s Vegetation Mitigation Funding through 2027.
Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office	Commitment: Governor's Salmon Recovery Office (GSRO) will facilitate conversations between Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) and other salmon recovery regions regarding the recommendations in the 2024 Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Plan Addendum with statewide implications through 2027.

Indicators

Indicators are one or more metrics that we track consistently over time with repeatable methods. Indicators help us understand key dynamics of interest to tell the story of short-, medium-, and long-term changes in human activities and ecosystem conditions in Puget Sound. Each indicator is evaluated for trend (e.g., 'getting better', 'getting worse', etc.). Some indicators also have targets and are evaluated for target status (whether we have met those targets).

Drift cells in functional condition

Estuary area in functional condition

Extent of forest cover in nearshore marine riparian areas

Feeder bluffs in functional condition

Floodplain function in large and small river systems

Housing diversity

Infill development

Number of accessible pocket estuaries and embayments

Sense of Place Index

Urban growth

Drift cells in functional condition (View in Vital Signs)

This indicator is under development and is proposed as a measure to integrate attributes of drift cell function including 1) armor and overwater structures in the sediment supply and deposition zones as well as the transport reach, (2) marine riparian vegetation cover, and (3) forage fish presence/absence.

Trend

Drift cells in functional condition

By:

No reported data available

Estuary area in functional condition (View in Vital Signs)

This indicator measures the amount (acres and percent) of estuarine surface area in functional condition in Puget Sound’s 16 large river deltas. Estuary function is measured by the extent of connected tidal wetlands. Functional estuaries provide many ecosystem services and are critical to the recovery of the region’s salmon populations.

Trend

Extent of forest cover in nearshore marine riparian areas (View in Vital Signs)

This indicator measures the percent and acreage of forested cover (vegetation approximately 8 feet or taller) within defined riparian zones landward of the marine shoreline.

Trend

Extent of forest cover in nearshore marine riparian areas

By:

No reported data available

Feeder bluffs in functional condition (View in Vital Signs)

This indicator measures the amount (length and percent) of Puget Sound feeder bluffs shorelines that are in functional or impaired condition (Figure 1). Feeder bluffs are eroding coastal bluffs that deliver the majority of sediment to maintain Puget Sound’s beaches and spits (Keuler 1988). Beaches and bluffs provide critical habitat for the region’s fish and wildlife, including spawning beaches for forage fish and rearing habitat for juvenile salmon. Shoreline armor is the main factor that impedes the functionality of feeder bluffs (Johannessen and MacLennan 2007; MacDonald et al. 1994) and therefore the presence of armor along feeder bluff shores is used as a proxy to assess feeder bluff function in our region.

Trend

Floodplain function in large and small river systems (View in Vital Signs)

This indicator measures the amount (acres and percent) of floodplain area in functional condition in Puget Sound’s 17 major rivers. Floodplain function is assessed at a regional scale using river connectivity and land use and cover. Areas that have natural land cover and unrestricted river flow are expected to be the most functional and provide the most ecosystem services. Floodplain function is impaired in areas with non-natural land cover or restricted river flow due to constraints or barriers (for example, roads, railroads, and levees).

Trend

Floodplain function in large and small river systems

By: Condition Assessment

Housing diversity (View in Data Center)

This indicator measures the percentage of total new housing production that is multi-unit (e.g., apartment buildings, condominiums, townhomes, etc.). Multi-unit housing types require less land area for each new unit than single-unit options, thus helping to conserve forest lands, open spaces, agricultural lands, and other natural ecosystems in Puget Sound. This indicator, measured at the city, town, and county level, can help local planners evaluate how their policies support a variety of housing options.

Trend

Infill development (View in Data Center)

This indicator measures acres of new impervious surface area in residential zones per net new housing units built. Increasing housing units in areas with existing impervious surface, such as through new apartment buildings and other multi-unit housing, is an effective way to support population growth while protecting sensitive habitats. A lower value in this indicator suggests that more new housing was located in areas with existing impervious surfaces which can support the protection of sensitive habitats.

Trend

Number of accessible pocket estuaries and embayments (View in Vital Signs)

This indicator measures the number of pocket estuaries and embayments that are accessible to juvenile salmon.

Trend

Number of accessible pocket estuaries and embayments

By:

No reported data available

Sense of Place Index (View in Vital Signs)

The Sense of Place Index measures the percent of residents who express a positive connection, a strong sense of stewardship, and a sense of pride about being from Puget Sound. This indicator will inform us about peoples’ emotional connection to Puget Sound.

Trend

Sense of Place Index

Urban growth (View in Data Center)

This indicator tracks the percentage of total new housing growth located within urban growth areas. Prioritizing development in urban growth areas can help protect natural lands outside urban areas. This indicator is one way to assess progress channeling growth into urban growth areas.

Trend

Target Status