Cascadia group proposes a way to handle population growth and avoid Whatcom County sprawl

If this idea of hub cities were to take hold, could Whatcom County end up with one? If so, would it serve Seattle, Vancouver, B.C., or both? It would be hard to say, as the current border restrictions remind us that being a hub to the closest metro area of Vancouver, B.C., could be impacted by international rules and regulations, said Laurie Trautman, director at Western Washington University’s Border Policy Research Institute.

“It seems like we were seeing people moving in here from both Seattle and Vancouver for the last few years, though, and if the demand is there for more transit in the future to both cities, then I suspect the infrastructure may follow,” Trautman said, noting that after the COVID-19 pandemic, more employees of Vancouver or Seattle companies might be able to work remotely in Whatcom County.