Regional View Newsletter
July 2004  [pdf version]
Faye Bainbridge State Park, Bainbridge Island
Table of Contents
Regional Economic Strategy Steams Forward Economic Competitiveness Group in Partnership with Global Insight
Win Competition for Regional Economic Strategy

The Puget Sound Regional Council has announced that the Economic Competitiveness Group, Inc. and Global Insight, Inc. have been selected to assist with development of a regional economic strategy for the central Puget Sound region. PSRC Executive Director Bob Drewel announced the selection at the June Executive Board meeting.

"This is a great step toward launching the work needed to best assure our region's long term economic competitiveness by sustaining the collaboration the region exhibited in winning the Boeing 7E7 and applying those lessons to our future," said Drewel. "We were able to select from the world's most outstanding talent and this ECG/Global Insight team was the unanimous choice of our regional team."

The Economic Competitiveness Group, Inc. of Berkeley, California and Global Insight, Inc. of Toronto, Ontario, Canada were selected in a competitive recruitment conducted by PSRC in partnership with the region's four economic development councils and others. The team was selected for their international experience. Past clients have included Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network and the World Bank.

"We were very impressed with ECG and Global Insight and are eager to move forward with them," said John Powers, CEO of the Seattle King County Economic Development Council. "These are exciting times for the economic future of our region. All four economic development councils in our region, and many others, are together on this. We are confident this team can help us continue to mobilize together so we'll be ready to execute a comprehensive economic strategy in the first quarter of 2005."

The goal of the strategy is to develop a common vision for the region's economy and to focus on key components of it, including identification of important and emerging sectors and steps that should be taken to support and grow them.

The regional economic strategy is a collaborative public and private sector effort being developed in conjunction with the region's four private, non-private economic development councils (serving King, Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap counties), the federal Economic Development Administration, the state of Washington and other economic and civic interests. A regional economic summit is planned for fall. The region will be ready for implementing actions by 2005.

For more information about the regional economic strategy, contact Ivan Miller, (206) 464-7549, or email imiller@psrc.org.

PSRC Wins Telly Award for the VISION 2020 Update Scoping Video: What's Next?
PSRC Staff with Rita Brogan and Michael Rosen of PRR with the Telly Award. The five-minute video provides a simple introduction to VISION 2020, lets people know about the update, and motivates the audience to participate and discuss what is important for the region's future. The Telly Awards are in their 25th year and are a national program that honor the best in short video and commercial programs. The Tellys typically receive 10,000 nominations each year. The VISION 2020 Update Scoping Video: What's Next? won the award for best regional programming. Copies of the video are available on DVD from the Information Center at (206) 464-7532 or infoctr@psrc.org.

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Puget Sound Milestones
Two New Reports are Now Available on the Regional Council's Web Site - psrc.org

Regional Aviation. Milestones continues its focus on components of the metropolitan transportation system with a report on the region's airport system. Monitoring results include performance measures such as airport system capacity, safety, pavement condition, delay and on-time performance, and security. In addition, the report discusses the region's progress implementing regional aviation policy as contained in Destination 2030, the 2001 Regional Airport System Plan, and the 2002 Strategic Plan for Aviation.

Project Tracking. The eighth report in the Puget Sound Milestones series presents data collected from the project tracking system of Regional Council transportation funds. The project tracking system was established in 2000 to monitor the progress of these funds and the implementation of transportation projects in the region. The report focuses on two of the three funding sources managed by PSRC -- Surface Transportation Program (STP) and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ).

Pierce County Airport/Thun Field

The two reports are available on psrc.org, or by calling the Regional Council's Information Center (206) 464-7532. For more information about the Regional Aviation report, contact Stephen Kiehl, (206) 464-6715, or email skiehl@psrc.org. For more information about Project Tracking, contact Kelly McGourty, (206) 464-7892, or email kmcgourty@psrc.org.






Population Growth Slows Further, Births Not Migration Help Maintain Increase During 2002-2003

The total population of the region in 2003 was 3,387,500, which is more than double the region's population in 1960, but a mere 25,500 more than it was in 2002. Natural increase accounted for about 80 percent of the growth from 2002 to 2003. (See Table 1)

Table 1. Population of the Central Puget Sound
  1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2001 2002 2003
King 935,000 1,159,400 1,269,900 1,507,300 1,737,000 1,758,300 1,774,300 1,779,300
Kitsap 84,200 101,700147,200 189,700 232,000 233,400 234,700 237,000
Pierce 321,600 412,300485,700 586,200 700,800 713,400 725,000 733,700
Snohomish 172,200 265,200 337,700 465,600 606,000 618,600 628,000 637,500
Region 1,513,000 1,938,700 2,240,400 2,748,900 3,275,800 3,323,700 3,362,000 3,387,500
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Washington State Office of Financial Management


Since 2000, annual population growth in the region has decelerated due to the slowdown, Seattle Central Library then recession, in the area's economy. While annual natural increase from 2000 to 2003 stayed level at between 20,400 and 21,800 per year, annual net migration decreased considerably from 26,000 in 2000-01, to 17,700 in 2001-02, down to 5,100 in 2002-03.

Migration trends in King County accounted for the greatest part of the slowdown in regional population growth. Net migration in King County dropped from 10,500 in 2000-01, to 5,700 in 2001-02, then fell to -5,300 in 2002-03 when more people were estimated to have left, than moved into, the county. Moderate decreases in net migration occurred in Pierce and Snohomish counties as well, during the same period.
(See Table 2).


Table 2. Population Change by Component
  1960-70 1970-80 1980-90 1990-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03
King Net Migration 119,700 55,700 140,700 120,400 10,500 5,700 -5,300
  Natural Increase 104,700 54,900 96,700 109,300 10,800 10,300 10,300
  Total Population Change 224,400 110,500 237,400 229,700 21,300 16,000 5,000
Kitsap Net Migration 9,800 36,400 26,000 24,400 200 200 1,100
  Natural Increase 7,700 9,000 16,600 17,800 1,300 1,100 1,200
  Total Population Change 17,600 45,400 42,600 42,200 1,400 1,300 2,300
Pierce Net Migration 46,600 33,800 44,200 62,300 7,600 7,000 4,100
 Natural Increase 44,200 39,500 56,400 52,400 4,900 4,600 4,600
  Total Population Change 90,800 73,300100,500 114,600 12,600 11,600 8,700
Snohomish Net Migration 68,200 48,700 87,000 92,400 7,800 4,900 5,200
  Natural Increase 24,900 23,700 40,900 48,000 4,800 4,500 4,300
  Total Population Change 93,000 72,500 127,900 140,400 12,600 9,400 9,500
Region Net Migration 244,200 174,700 297,800 299,500 26,000 17,700 5,100
  Natural Increase 181,500 127,100 210,600 227,500 21,800 20,600 20,400
  Total Population Change 425,700 301,800 508,400 527,000 47,900 38,300 25,500
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Washington State Office of Financial Management

Population change is comprised of: (a) net migration -- people moving into the region minus people moving out, and (b) natural increase -- births minus deaths. In the central Puget Sound, the primary source of population expansion over the last several decades has been net migration. Since 1960, net migration accounted for 57% of the region's growth at an average of 24,800 persons per year. Natural increase, on the other hand, contributed 43% of the region's growth at an average of 18,800 persons per year.

Net migration serves as the dynamic driver behind annual population change in the region. While growth from natural increase remains relatively stable from year to year, net migration is far more volatile, rising and falling in response to the strength of job opportunities and other attractions in the central Puget Sound compared to areas outside the region.

The full version of this Trend is available online at psrc.org or from the Information Center at (206) 464-7532 or infoctr@psrc.org. For questions about the data presented in this article, contact Carol Naito at (206) 464.7535 or cnaito@psrc.org.

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Sign language and communication material in alternative formats can be arranged given sufficient notice by calling Grace Foster at 206-464-7090. TDD\TTY: 206-464-5409. Funding for this newsletter provided in part by member jurisdictions, grants from U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, Federal Highway Administration and Washington State Department of Transportation. PSRC fully complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice, related statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. For more information see www.psrc.org/about/titlevi/index.htm or call 206-464-6175. To subscribe or unsubscribe to Regional VIEW, please call 206-464-7090.

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