Things you should know about Greater Seattle area
UW, China’s ‘MIT’ to run tech program in Bellevue
One of the most prestigious universities in China is joining forces with the University of Washington to run a graduate institute in Bellevue that will focus on technology and innovation. The partnership with Tsinghua University of Beijing — sometimes called the MIT of China — will mark the first time that a Chinese research university has established a physical presence in the United States, UW officials say. To jump-start the effort, Microsoft is donating $40 million, and the program will be based in the Spring District in the rezoned and redeveloping Bel-Red Corridor. No state money will be used. Global Innovation Exchange (GIX) What it is: A graduate-level institute that will teach technology using project-based learning. Partners: University of Washington, Tsinghua University of Beijing, China. Two other university partners from other countries are expected to be announced in the next year. Funding: Microsoft is giving $40 million to start the program. Other companies and nonprofits may join the institute later. No state money is involved. What it will offer: A 15-month master’s degree, Master of Science in Technology Innovation. Opening date: Fall 2016 Location: GIX will have a temporary location in Bellevue in the first year, then move into a 100,000-square-foot, 3-story building in the Spring District of Bellevue in fall 2017. The Global Innovation Exchange, or GIX as it will be known, will start with a few dozen students in fall 2016, next fall, both American and Chinese. It could grow to 3,000 students in a decade. At least two other international universities are expected to join up. Most Read Stories Inside Amazon: wrestling big ideas in a bruising workplace Flames, anguish strike Chelan as spreading wildfires burn homes Rainier melting unleashes ‘glacial outbursts’ of debris Chelan evacuates as lightning triggers fires east of Cascades Haggen retreats from big expansion, shedding 27 stores UW Interim President Ana Mari Cauce and Tsinghua President Qiu Yong made the announcement Thursday afternoon in downtown Bellevue, accompanied by Gov. Jay Inslee and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Nadella called it an “ambitious project with incredible promise.” And Yong, speaking in Mandarin, said that while Seattle is now known in China because of “Sleepless in Seattle” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” it soon will be known for GIX. In an interview last week, Cauce and Microsoft general counsel Brad Smith, who has worked on the project, said the program is unlike anything ever offered at the university. Both Tsinghua and UW faculty will teach, in English. The students will earn a master’s degree over 15 months, and they’ll be charged with tackling great problems of this era: sustainability, health, inequality, environmental issues, transportation and clean energy, to name just a few. “We do see technology as being a key in all of these areas,” Cauce said. “Technology isn’t just about engineering and science anymore.” The program builds on the fields of computer science and electrical engineering but will span many other disciplines. The work will be project-based, with Chinese and American students working together in such fields as cloud computing and the “Internet of things,” the concept of connecting everyday objects to the Internet to make them smarter and capable of doing more. Smith, who has long been involved in higher-education issues in Washington, described the partnership as a way to grow higher education in Seattle, which is “at a disadvantage” when compared with other U.S. cities that are tech-innovation centers, including Boston, New York, Chicago, the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles.
温哥华VS西雅图：城市双胞胎？
同是北美西海岸的风景城市，但主观地讲，温哥华的景色或许更胜一筹，它美在触手可及，让人可以“零距离”亲近。登山可去北岸群山，漫步海滨则有太多的去处。大温各城市海岸线绵延，花园和步道环绕，北美最大的城市花园 Stanley Park 就坐落在温市中央区域。这也让众多名流政要对温哥华情有独钟。克林顿和普京每次来，都要上街慢跑，超级富豪们出海则多从市中心出发。有人说，生活在大温哥华地区的都是幸运儿，因为海景、水景房和山景房不单是豪宅的专属，不计其数的普通住宅同样坐拥“亿元”景致。 西雅图地势高低不平，坡度缓急，严格意义上而言，不适于骑车和步行。城市的海滩，东部沿 Lake Washington 一带多为私人领地，非豪富无缘享用，而西部除去 Alki 和 Golden Garden 又多为工业用地或嶙峋高地。对比两座城市，有人得出这样的看法：西雅图的美丽多停留在风景明信片上，而温哥华的美丽早已融入人们的日常生活，在这里，人们就是那风景画中的一部分。 温哥华清晰的网格状城市道路规划起源很早，几乎与建市同步，这要归功于“温哥华总体建筑规划师” Lauchlan Hamilton 十九世纪末的高瞻远瞩。尽管在他身后，城市不停扩张，但历届政府依然恪守他定下的规则，在各区发展规划中充分考虑到各种物业类型的布局和配置，而小区一旦成型，对于更改土地用途的监管和审批管理严格。这一传统一直保持下来，所以才有了今天规划有序的城市特色。以高楼为代表的中央商业区多集中在Downtown，成就了这一区域持续的活力，也因此赢得了“小曼哈顿”之称，而其他地区则多建低密度住宅和其他物业，各类物业之间区隔明显。作为温哥华有别于北美其他城市的一大特点，高度集中化的区域中央区更适于人居，住Downtown的生活方式大受追捧，方便性是不言而喻的，但问题是Downtown的发展模式一方面创造了繁荣，另一方面却又埋下“堆积与不均衡”的城市隐患。 西雅图中心区自上世纪五十年代经历了衰败与复兴之路。政府频频联手大企业，对城市加以改造，如今的西雅图感是一个集商业、办公以及居住开发为一体的城市。房屋屋紧临高速而建，它的左邻右舍可能会是单车店或废弃工厂改造而成的瑜伽馆。城市中心市貌一直在改进，繁华程度虽无法与温哥华媲美，但新一波商业楼宇投资热的兴起必将带动西雅图的新发展。
西雅图富人搬进穷人搬出“贵族化”趋势严重
【侨报西雅图讯】西雅图地区的房价正在被年轻高薪的专业人才推高。上周，首都丘的复古电影院Harvard Exit宣佈关闭，卖给房产开放商。西雅图地区贵族化的问题再一次引起关注甚至游行。不过一项最新调查则显示，西雅图社区并不面临贵族化问题。 总部设在波特兰的智囊团City Observatory在一份新的研究中表示，西雅图并没有经历明显的贵族化。实际上，贵族化的现象在全美城市中并没有大家想像中普遍。竞技学家考特莱特（Joe Cortright）说：“贵族化的定义很模煳，一些人认为当比他有钱的人搬进社区就是贵族化。但低收入穷困人口被富人取代是被担心的贵族化问题，但目前西雅图该现象并不显着。” 资料显示，巴拉德（Ballard）和首都丘（Capitol hill）都在经历社区重组，贫困人口减少。但也仅从70年的19%下降到16%。贝尔镇（Belltown）最接近贵族化标准，从70年贫困人口29%下降到10年的12%。 西雅图在城市结构改变方面并不是唯一的。除了纽约、芝加哥、华盛顿和孟菲斯，全美大多数城市没有或很少有贵族化现象。
东区Kirkland库克兰市中心发展新面貎
东区库克兰市中心重建计划内的一幅最大地皮日前正式被Continental Properties以一亿二千万元盘了下来，准备兴建一楝楼高五层商住公寓大楼. 库克兰市城市计划总监Jeremy McMahan欢迎Continental在该市的发展，并肯定该公司能为库克兰市带来更多新经济剌激及新居民。在其旁的两个新地盘同时也准备盖365个单位的住宅公寓。 过去二十年来，库克兰市中心已增加了近1,350间公寓，令这个一度寂静的小市镇，成为很多科技人员乐意定居的地点，也令库克兰市中心的地价捷捷上升，成为继表尔威及雷德蒙市后最吸引投资者的地区。