The Cascade Agenda is a collective 100-year vision for conserving Washington's remarkable landscapes in the face of a growing population and a changing economic base.

Special Feature: Drawing on brainpower

By Bob Ritter - President and Publisher of Washington CEO Magazine

Smart, talented people are our future, if we can convince them to come - and stay.

"The region with the smartest people wins. That's the conclusion of a growing library of research suggesting that the economic fortunes of metropolitan regions depend on attracting -- and keeping -- people capable of driving the innovation that creates jobs, bolsters economic growth and provides resources to pay for civic amenities."

Read the full article here.

Buckley and mill creek become the Ninth and tenth cascade agenda cities

On October 14th, the Buckley City Council and the Mill Creek City Council voted to become the region's ninth and tenth Cascade Agenda Cities respectively, joining the Leadership cities of Tacoma, Kirkland and Issaquah, and the Member cities of Shoreline, Ellensburg, Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace and Snohomish.

Photo courtesy of the City of Buckley

Photo courtesy of the City of Mill Creek

The Cascade Agenda Cities Program enlists the region’s cities to improve the livability of neighborhoods---making them complete, compact, and connected---and spectacular enough for people to choose to live there, saving the region’s natural and working lands from poorly planned development.

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Special feature: Cascade land conservancy, aia seattle and allied arts seattle host design for livability forum

By Bob Ritter - President and Publisher of Washington CEO Magazine

Urban density should be embraced by community leaders to build more livable cities and suburbs, to reduce dependence on automobiles and to maintain an educated work force that drives innovation and economic prosperity.           

Importantly, greater density in Seattle and its suburbs promotes conservation of pristine forests and rural farmlands, aids in efforts to restore Puget Sound water quality and helps alleviate other environmental degradation.        

Those were the themes of a three-day conference, “Design for Livability: Doing Density Right” presented in late September by the Cascade Land Conservancy, AIA Seattle and Allied Arts of Seattle.  More than 200 architects, land-use planners and community activists heard speaker after speaker promote the advantages of building well designed neighborhoods that combine greater density, green space preservation, connectivity and sense of place.  

“Cities must be made more livable if they are to attract people, rather than repel them.  In short, cities must become worthy of our children.”  Gene Duvernoy, president of Cascade Land Conservancy, told the gathering.  “We must build livability into our cities from the bottom up if we are to protect our rural and wild lands from sprawl.”

Read the full article here.

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The Cascade agenda report

The Cascade Agenda Report --a three-year progress report on the twin goals of conserving great lands, creating great communities was released at the 13th Annual Conservation Awards Breakfast May 1st.

The Cascade Land Conservancy envisions a region that combines conservation of spectacular landscapes, a vibrant economy and great places to live.