Uploaded on 2016-07-04 by Jamin

Stocks: Downtown core, large companies, highway infrastructure Flows: Construction materials, edibles, commuters The downtown core attracts development and commuters to the city. It's where much of the city's infrastructure and employment is centered. While it's generally a stock at any given time, over the years downtown has slowly drifted north, making it a flow in the long term. Large companies, such as Microsoft, Starbucks, Amazon, etc. drive the development and vitalization of downtown. They represent stable employers and dynamos for wealth. However, these companies have been known to come and go; Boeing was previously the largest private employer of Seattle but moved it's headquarters a few years ago. Meanwhile Amazon is in the process of relocating its headquarters in Seattle, spurring local development. The transportation infrastructure dictates development and is pretty much the literal embodiment of commuter flow. The highways are what locked out development from South Lake Union for many years, and what ultimately catalyzed the development in the region today. With the large amounts of construction in downtown and SLU, the flow of construction materials is a large part of Seattle. Meanwhile Boeing still maintains its largest facilities in the Seattle region, and thus the flow of airplane construction materials is particularly important. Seattle is also a large exporter of apples and cherries, and a huge importer of coffee beans. Lastly, the flow of commuters has influenced development as well as city life--traffic in Seattle is among the worst in the nation. One way stocks are changing already is with the movement of Amazon's headquarters, as I mentioned previously. The move has prompted the development of an entire neighborhood of high-rises as well as a light rail system. I can see in the future, as more companies move to Seattle, different regions being revitalized by their presence. Meanwhile, city council and Sound Transit remain committed to developing mass transit in King County. The ST3 transit package, which voters have not only wholly supported but also pressed for an earlier completion, will create light rail lines extending from Seattle to its many satellite cities and suburbs.