Deep Dive on Land Capacity Analysis for Housing
Join PAW for a deep dive on Land Capacity Analyses for housing! This session will feature a brief overview of the new requirements to plan for housing capacity of all income levels and practical tips and lessons learned from two local governments land capacity analyses and the zoning changes the cities employed to accommodate land capacity deficits.
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Speakers:
Laura Hodgson, Housing Planning and Data Manager
Laura Hodgson is the Housing Planning and Data Manager in the Growth Management Services unit at the Washington State Department of Commerce. Laura supports local governments updating their housing elements as communities take a more active role to plan for and accommodate housing needs of all incomes and address racially disparate impacts, exclusion and displacement. She also oversees the new Housing Accountability Act program and technical assistance to local governments as they plan for emergency Shelters, Transitional housing, Emergency housing, and Permanent supportive housing (STEP). She has been with the Department of Commerce since January 2020. Laura has been working in urban planning for 18 years. Prior to working at Commerce, she worked for Montgomery County Planning Department in Maryland and worked for consulting firms in the fields of transportation planning and urban planning. Laura has a Bachelor of Architecture and a master’s in urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Tech.
Jamie Burrell, Senior Planner
Jamie has over 20 years of municipal planning experience working on current and long-range planning. Jamie led the Housing Element update for the City of North Bend’s major update in 2024 and sits in the Housing Interjurisdictional Team, advisory to the Affordable Housing Committee of King County. Jamie holds a BA in Environmental Policy from Western Washington University.
Dane Jepsen, Planner
Dane Jepsen is a Planner and GIS Analyst with LDC who helps Washington communities plan for growth with clarity, strategy, and real-world practicality. He brings a strong mix of technical analysis and accessible communication, turning complex planning requirements into actionable paths forward for cities, elected officials, and the public.
Dane specializes in Public Engagement Plans, Land Capacity Analyses, and Racial Equity Reports that tie housing growth targets to community values and equity goals. He’s known for making data meaningful — facilitating workshops, study sessions, and presentations that help stakeholders understand their options and move confidently toward decisions.
Alongside his comprehensive planning work, Dane supports county and municipal jurisdictions with development review and zoning code updates, particularly involving housing, mixed use development, and telecommunications. He helps jurisdictions modernize regulations to meet evolving state standards, including those for affordable, supportive, and emergency housing. He also supports private clients with site identification, project design, and permitting across residential, commercial, recreational, and institutional projects.
With a BA in Geography and a GIS certificate from Central Washington University, Dane brings strong mapping, visualization, and feasibility skills that help clients adopt plans and regulations that are both compliant and implementable.
Andrew Oliver, Senior Urban Development Analyst
Andrew Oliver is a planner with a passion for helping to create more equitable and sustainable cities and regions through understanding the relationships between land use, access to housing and transportation, and the economics of development. He is particularly interested in strategies to improve housing affordability and understanding the housing needs of communities, as well as the connection between housing and economic development. At Leland Consulting Group, Andrew supports the firm’s principals and associates with a variety of research, writing, GIS, and data analysis tasks. He has recent experience working on a variety of housing plans, downtown strategies, tribal economic development efforts, and comprehensive plans in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Before joining the firm, he worked for JM Goldson, a community planning firm in Boston, working on housing production plans for a number of Massachusetts municipalities. Andrew has a master’s degree in urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University and has also worked as a professional pianist in Portland and London, specializing in traditional jazz and tango music.