Joshua McNichols
Reporter
About
Joshua’s “Growing Pains” beat sits at the nexus of housing, transportation, urban planning, and the economy. He’s done deep reporting on Amazon and the housing shortage in our region. He interviews people who've found affordable places to live by tolerating long commutes, flooding rivers, or other hazards. He asks people what they want from work and how that's changing. He explores neighborhood "main streets" where residents and businesses come together to form community.
Public radio is a second career for Joshua, after he spent ten years in the field of architecture. He holds a bachelor's degree in Architecture from the University of Washington. He has held many unusual jobs in his life, from fishing to building houses to running the kitchen at a bed and breakfast. He’s also an avid gardener who co-wrote a book on urban gardening during the Great Recession.
Location: Seattle
Languages Spoken: English
Pronouns: he/him/his
Professional Affiliations: Society of Professional Journalists, Western Washington Chapter
Podcasts
Stories
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KUOW Blog
How are tech layoffs impacting downtown businesses?
Behind the scenes as we report on the downtown economy
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KUOW Newsroom
WA bill promotes dense, walkable communities around transit stops
Many cities across Washington State have invested heavily in transit. But there aren’t a lot of people living around the many stations set to open north and south of Seattle in the next few years. A bill introduced in Olympia aims to change that.
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KUOW Newsroom
Design review process could be axed to speed up housing production in Washington state
The state legislature advanced a bill this week that would eliminate the time-consuming "design review" process for new housing projects, which builders say could save months of headaches and reduce the administrative cost of producing housing.
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KUOW Newsroom
Middle housing bill begins with more support in WA Legislature than last time
After fizzling out last year, a bill that would allow denser housing in cities across Washington state begins the legislative session on a stronger footing.
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KUOW Newsroom
Laid off from Microsoft or Amazon? Seattle's still full of opportunities
Getting laid off is hard. But between job openings and startup opportunities, losing a job can be the beginning of a new journey, especially in the Seattle region's tech economy.
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KUOW Newsroom
2023 housing strategies proposed by Seattle's top CEOs
As the Washington State legislature gets underway in 2023, two big reports offer guidance on how to tackle the housing shortage. One comes from a group of top CEOs and former Washington governor Christine Gregoire; the other, from the non-profit Urban Institute.
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KUOW Blog
Reporter's Notebook: How The Ripple Effect series was born
The series focused on affordable housing solutions in greater Seattle
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KUOW Blog
What's a 'housing benefit district' and why do people want them around light rail stations?
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The Ripple Effect
How to create community out of a bunch of buildings: The Ripple Effect
It takes more than good planning to create a community that’s there for you when plans fall short.
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The Ripple Effect
Four big housing ideas that could reshape greater Seattle: The Ripple Effect
The greater Seattle metro region is a hotbed of housing experimentation right now. In many different cities, people are talking about new ideas, new approaches to this problem of how to build enough housing without tearing apart vulnerable communities in the process.