Articles by Gregory Scruggs

Gregory Scruggs is a Seattle-based journalist who writes about built, natural, and cultural environments. You can read more of his work at www.authory.com/GregoryScruggs.

As WFH burnout mounts, some tech workers are turning to coworking and flex office space

Longterm vision for Seattle-Portland-Vancouver mega-region will require a ‘consensus on growth’
University of Washington studies future of urban package delivery with lockers and street sensors
An autonomous school bus that delivers packages, and other predictions for the future of mobility

Latest from Gregory Scruggs

Washington state and Norway renew maritime-focused MOU

by Gregory Scruggs on November 20, 2021November 22, 2021 at 3:14 pm

Amidst a sea of colorful waterproof bibs, plush captain’s chairs, and boat parts galore, representatives from Washington state and the government of Norway renewed their memorandum of understanding Friday at… Read More

Q&A: Finland’s transport and communications minister on 5G, smart regulation, and mobile data

by Gregory Scruggs on November 6, 2021November 6, 2021 at 9:36 am

Long before the Apple iOS and Android operating systems came to dominate the smartphone market, the early days of the mobile phone era were pioneered by Nordic telecom companies. Finland’s… Read More

Washington state and Finland sign tech-focused MOU, plan to establish smart port in Tacoma

by Gregory Scruggs on November 4, 2021November 5, 2021 at 12:38 pm

With the global supply chain in disarray and container ships moored in seldom-used Puget Sound anchorages, Washington Lieutenant Gov. Denny Heck signed a timely memorandum of understanding on Thursday with… Read More

Life sciences leaders see big opportunity for more collaboration across Seattle and Vancouver

by Gregory Scruggs on February 6, 2021February 6, 2021 at 8:41 am

In 2016, B.C. Cancer Agency chief Dr. Malcolm Moore traveled from Vancouver to Seattle and paid a visit to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center for a guided tour. The… Read More

‘That rhythm is gone’: Washington state legislators on the pros and cons of virtual government

by Gregory Scruggs on January 30, 2021January 30, 2021 at 8:01 am

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Some 3,000 members of the public testified last week to comment on two of the most hot-button bills in the Washington legislature: whether or not to maintain… Read More

As WFH burnout mounts, some tech workers are turning to coworking and flex office space

by Gregory Scruggs on November 14, 2020November 16, 2020 at 3:26 pm

When software engineer Joe Buck started his new job in September at Seattle-based remittance company Remitly, his desk was wedged between the family minivan and kids toys. Like so many… Read More

Longterm vision for Seattle-Portland-Vancouver mega-region will require a ‘consensus on growth’

by Gregory Scruggs on October 13, 2020October 13, 2020 at 3:26 pm

Traffic as congested as Los Angeles? Housing as unaffordable as the Bay Area or New York? Climate emissions falling well short of Paris Agreement targets? Those are the dire predictions… Read More

University of Washington studies future of urban package delivery with lockers and street sensors

by Gregory Scruggs on October 2, 2020October 9, 2020 at 12:31 pm

[Update, Oct. 9: The Urban Freight Lab told users of the Belltown Lockers that they will be moved to a new location a few blocks away due to changes at… Read More

Expect more football than Fortnite as sports betting comes to Washington state tribal casinos

by Gregory Scruggs on March 26, 2020March 26, 2020 at 7:06 am

Seattle sports fans may be able to place a legal bet on Russell Wilson’s pass completion rate during the Seahawks home opener this fall, but not from their favorite Pioneer… Read More

Microsoft president talks ‘tech Cold War’ with China, which accounts for 2% of company’s revenue

by Gregory Scruggs on January 15, 2020January 15, 2020 at 11:16 am

Microsoft President Brad Smith speculated last month that the U.S. and China were on the verge of a “Tech Cold War.” Even as the countries signed phase one of a… Read More

Seattle’s working waterfront offers rare combination of maritime roots and high-tech economy

by Gregory Scruggs on November 29, 2019November 29, 2019 at 9:35 am

For a software engineer commuting via bike from West Seattle to downtown, waiting for semi-trucks while crossing the access road that leads into the Port of Seattle’s Terminal 18 at… Read More

From fiber-optic lines to 5G, it’s turbulent times for data connectivity in the Pacific Northwest

by Gregory Scruggs on November 20, 2019November 22, 2019 at 9:56 am

Bureaucratic snags slow new fiber-optic “highway” connecting Vancouver and Seattle. 5G implementation faces hurdles across Pacific Northwest. Industry experts say the rocky road for these data connectivity technologies could threaten… Read More

Why experts say the Pacific Northwest is a ‘perfect laboratory’ for autonomous technology

by Gregory Scruggs on November 19, 2019November 19, 2019 at 3:07 pm

The hype cycle for autonomous vehicles may have slowed down after the March 2018 fatal accident involving a self-driving Uber car, but for AV booster Bruce Agnew, the Pacific Northwest… Read More

From fish to coffee, how companies are using new technology for sustainable supply chains

by Gregory Scruggs on November 16, 2019November 18, 2019 at 2:31 pm

Parker Townley, a Gonzaga University graduate who works for food certification organization Fair Trade USA, was in Peru visiting coffee and cacao farms last week. On a tour hosted by… Read More

Inside the ‘Tech to Protect’ hackathon that aims to help emergency responders with new technology

by Gregory Scruggs on November 4, 2019November 4, 2019 at 2:38 pm

In the late 1990s, Barry Luke responded to a house call in Gainesville, Fla. The firefighter and his partner went to the back of the house, where a leaking liquefied… Read More

Q&A: In it for the long haul? Uber Freight exec talks trucking and driving the industry into digital era

by Gregory Scruggs on October 26, 2019October 27, 2019 at 9:22 am

On Sept. 15, a truck left from Houston carrying a food-and-beverage industry haul to Roanoke, Texas, outside of Dallas. The next day, that same truck picked up another load for… Read More

Video

How Microsoft learned to tell compelling stories: Tech giant shares its secrets in new handbook

by Gregory Scruggs on October 22, 2019October 22, 2019 at 7:27 am

The 2012 publication of the New York Times multimedia story “Snow Fall,” about a deadly avalanche earlier that year in Steven Pass, Wash., was a watershed moment for Steve Clayton… Read More

An autonomous school bus that delivers packages, and other predictions for the future of mobility

by Gregory Scruggs on October 20, 2019October 21, 2019 at 1:55 pm

When Devin Liddell rushes to catch the King County water taxi, gazes out his office window at 1st and Union in downtown Seattle, or waits in a long line at… Read More

Is AI more threat than promise? Tech developers join activists in calling for new safeguards

by Gregory Scruggs on October 20, 2019October 21, 2019 at 7:03 pm

It’s much worse to let Darth Vader go free than to keep Luke Skywalker incarcerated. That is the philosophical argument underpinning risk assessment tools such as COMPAS (Correctional Offender Management… Read More

Seattle City Light unveils strategy to handle expected surge in electric vehicles

by Gregory Scruggs on September 28, 2019September 28, 2019 at 9:41 am

Electric vehicles are poised to reach a tipping point in 2019 as battery prices dip to $150/kWh and Seattle is poised to usher in a surge of electric transportation across… Read More

Q&A: Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman on using tech to keep elections secure

by Gregory Scruggs on September 15, 2019September 15, 2019 at 9:12 pm

Election security vaulted to the top of public officials’ concerns in the U.S. following the attempted intervention by Russian hackers in the 2016 presidential election. The hacking attempt captivated the… Read More

Cybersecurity advice: How local government entities and employees can avoid costly hacks

by Gregory Scruggs on September 13, 2019September 13, 2019 at 7:58 am

What is the most popular password in the Pacific Northwest? Seahawks12, or some variation thereof, according to federal cybersecurity advisor Ronald Watters. That hackers can easily guess potential security codes… Read More

Misunderstood and untapped: Alaska’s burgeoning tech industry spotlighted at conference in Seattle

by Gregory Scruggs on April 29, 2019April 29, 2019 at 12:26 pm

Mead Treadwell takes the long view on his state’s inventive history. Speaking with GeekWire at the Arctic Encounter Symposium last week in Seattle, the former Alaska lieutenant governor and serial… Read More

Washington Gov. Inslee proposes ‘Clean Energy Smart Deal’ for next state legislative session

by Gregory Scruggs on December 11, 2018December 11, 2018 at 7:51 am

Electric vehicles cruising I-5, net-zero buildings emerging from construction sites, high-speed rail zipping through Cascadia, electric-hybrid ferries plying Puget Sound, and nary a coal-fired power plant in sight. That could… Read More

Washington Gov. Inslee calls for stronger environmental leadership from state tech industry, as Silicon Valley goes green

by Gregory Scruggs on September 15, 2018September 24, 2018 at 4:52 pm

SAN FRANCISCO — West Coast tech leaders made the case this week that artificial intelligence, blockchain, machine learning, and big data are essential tools for solving the global climate crisis.… Read More

Starbucks announces plans to ‘go greener’ at 10,000 of its stores worldwide by 2025

by Gregory Scruggs on September 13, 2018September 13, 2018 at 4:26 pm

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — Two months after Starbucks announced a phase-out of plastic straws, the Seattle-based coffee company is pledging to build and operate 10,000 so-called “greener stores” by 2025.… Read More

United Nations CITO believes tech can solve some of the world’s biggest challenges if the private sector steps up

by Gregory Scruggs on May 2, 2018May 2, 2018 at 3:02 pm

To hear the United Nations Chief Information Technology Officer tell it, the world is a scary place. 1.2 million people are displaced in South Sudan. 27,000 Royhinga Muslims are fleeing… Read More

Video

Real-world Minecraft mod: How the popular video game is transforming parks and other public spaces

by Gregory Scruggs on April 18, 2018April 19, 2018 at 6:02 am

Where there was once a derelict market in the Sunny Hill neighborhood of Pristina, Kosovo’s capital, now sits a skate park. Rollerblades, skateboards, and BMX bikes make a constant clatter… Read More

How a custom Microsoft app is helping the Caribbean rebuild after hurricanes

by Gregory Scruggs on December 17, 2017December 17, 2017 at 12:30 pm

Travel for this story was supported by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. CODRINGTON, Barbuda — Last month at a United Nations donor conference, the international community pledged $1.3 billion… Read More

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