Mpact Webinar: More Housing Near Transit
More Housing Near Transit: How Washington State Set a New Standard for Transit-Oriented DevelopmentÂ
August 19, 2025, AICP CM 1.0
In 2025, the state of Washington passed what has been called the most ambitious state-wide transit-oriented development policy in the country and a new template for allowing more housing near high-capacity transit.
Watch the webinar video below. Learn about the key elements in the law, how legislators and advocates overcame challenges to build statewide support, and the context and potential for transit-oriented development across the state.
- Rep. Julia Reed, 36th District, Washington House of Representatives, Seattle, WA
- Kate Brunette Kreuzer, Director of External Affairs, Futurewise , Seattle WA
- Bryce Yadon, Government Affairs, Futurewise / Principal, Bryce Yadon Consulting, Seattle, WA
- Yonah Freemark, Lead, Practice Area on Fair Housing + Land Use + Transportation, Urban Institute, Washington, DC
Timestamps for video below
00:00 Welcome – Kammy Horne, CEO, Mpact
02:24 Speaker introductions
04:10 Yonah Freemark presentation about encouraging transit-oriented development
09:43 Rep. Julia Reed details what is in the law
17:24 Kate Brunette Kreuzer and Bryce Yadon about getting the bill passed
39:40 Q&A
40:12 Q about working with associations of local cities
48:28 Q about cities that struggle to attract development
56:11 Q about mitigating displacement 1:02:28 Q about funding infrastructure around transit
1:08:17 Closing comment from each speaker
For those who attended live, the webinar is approved for 1.0 American Planning Association Certification Maintenance Credits
Resources and Links
Featured Speakers
Rep. Julia Reed
36th District, Washington House of Representatives, Seattle, WA
Julia Reed joined the Washington State Legislature in 2023 to represent the 36th Legislative District (LD), including the northern Seattle neighborhood where she was raised. She serves on the Housing committee and as vice chair of the Transportation committee. Her legislative priorities include advocating for inclusionary urban zoning and increasing investments in multi-modal transportation infrastructure. One of her proudest policy achievements was seeing her transit-oriented development bill, a policy that increases density within specified radiuses of transit stations, pass into law this year.
Bryce Yadon
Government Affairs, Futurewise / Principal, Bryce Yadon Consulting, Seattle, WA
Bryce has over 15 years of experience in the Washington State Legislature both as staff and as a lobbyist. He is a registered lobbyist in the State of Washington focusing on land use, housing, and transportation. Previously, Bryce was the State Policy Director for Futurewise before starting his own firm. He continues to lobby on behalf of Futurewise and other clients. Over the past decade, Bryce has been the lead lobbyist on significant changes to the Growth Management Act, including adding a Climate Element, updating the Housing Element, passing statewide middle housing reform and TOD, along with key investments in transportation infrastructure.
Kate Brunette Kreuzer
Director of External Affairs, Futurewise , Seattle WA
Kate is an organizer, facilitator and fundraiser who has organized for change in Washington, D.C., Bogotá, Colombia, and throughout Washington state. Kate currently serves as Director of External Affairs at Futurewise where she manages fundraising, communications and grassroots organizing. During her tenure at Futurewise, Kate oversaw successful legislative advocacy to pass major updates to Washington’s Growth Management Act, and most recently supported Futurewise’s legislative campaign to pass HB 1491 for transit-oriented development.
Yonah Freemark
Lead, Practice Area on Fair Housing + Land Use + Transportation, Urban Institute, Washington, DC
Yonah Freemark is a principal research associate in the Housing and Communities Division at the Urban Institute. He is the research director of the Land Use Lab at Urban. His research focuses on the intersection of land use, affordable housing, transportation, and governance. He has published peer-reviewed scholarship in numerous journals, including Urban Affairs Review, Politics & Society, Housing Policy Debate, and the Journal of the American Planning Association.
Previously, Freemark worked for Chicago’s Metropolitan Planning Council and has written for the New York Times, Next City, and CityLab, among other publications. He holds master’s degrees in city planning and in transportation, as well as a PhD in urban studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He lives along the U Street Corridor in Washington, DC. Find Yonah on BlueSky.