Joshua McNichols
Growth and Development Reporter
About
As KUOW's Growth and Development reporter and co-host of KUOW's Booming podcast, Joshua's "growing pains" beat sits at the nexus of housing, transportation, urban planning, government and the economy. His favorite stories also include themes of history, technology, and climate change.
Joshua holds a B.A. in Architecture from the University of Washington. Public Radio is his second career; architecture was his first. He is proud of the many odd jobs he's held in his life, such as salmon fisher, author, bike courier, and bed-and-breakfast cook.
Location: Seattle
Languages Spoken: English
Pronouns: he/him
Professional Affiliations: The Society of Professional Journalists, Western Washington Chapter
Stories
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Reopening bowling alleys: Squirt the finger holes with alcohol and use a tiny brush
Hiring employees, reestablishing scheduled deliveries by food vendors, and getting the word out to customers: these challenges make Kenmore Lanes owner Joanne Evans. "It's like starting a brand new business," said Kenmore Lanes' owner Joann Evans. She's had to reestablish relationships with food vendors and get the word out to customers that she's open.
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Pandemic gives new legs to tiny house villages
The COVID pandemic has pushed people out of homeless shelters and onto the street. Public frustration about that is leading to wider embrace of tiny house villages.
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Sound Transit optimistic after first week of Biden administration
Light rail, while fine in the short tem, faces long term fallout from the COVID-19 recession and rising land costs. But the first few days of the Biden administratio
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Seattle celebrates Biden's inauguration
People in the greater Seattle area voted overwhelmingly for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, so it’s no surprise there were impromptu celebrations all over the region on Wednesday. In Ballard, the belltower rang "joyously."
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These 'little old lady athletes' built an outdoor gym
Gyms in Washington State are reopening, kind of. They're only admitting a limited number of people at a time. Not everyone’s ready to go back, though. One woman and her friends found a creative solution and learned something about herself in the process.
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Business
Seattle Uber & Lyft drivers report small pay bumps following law change
This month, Uber and Lyft drivers got a small raise. That’s because a new Seattle law kicked in that increased how much money drivers earn per ride. It's too soon to know the law's full impact. But drivers say some kinds of rides are paying more, now.
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What I learned working from home alongside my dad
During the pandemic, a lot of people have moved in with family so that they can be near other people in this isolating time. One young man shares how working upstairs from
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Why experts say Amazon’s fund for Seattle-area affordable housing is huge, but not nearly enough
This week Amazon pledged 2 billion dollars for affordable housing. It’ll be spent around cities where Amazon has large headquarters, including the Seattle area, Arlington Virginia, and Nashville Tennessee. But experts say it’s not nearly enough to resolve the Seattle metro region's housing shortage.
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After a mediocre shopping season, local shops just happy they survived
The holiday shopping season was a bright spot in a bad year, for many local retail businesses. Many shops have seen recent rise in customers driven by interest in new hobbies or just a need to see other people. That’s given some shop owners hope for 2021. But one expert says businesses must do more than roll with the punches to prepare themselves for the future.
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Government
What the federal stimulus bill means for Sound Transit projects
Federal funding could have brought light rail access to Tacoma, Everett, Ballard, and West Seattle sooner. But the final bill failed to come to the rescue, said Sound Transit's CEO Peter Rogoff.