How growth is fueling the Eastside's transformation

By the numbers: With a growing number of residents from around the world, Eastside neighborhoods are thriving as hubs for multicultural events and amenities, reflecting the area's shifting demographics. 

• Bellevue's demographic numbers show the city is now a majority-minority community with 60% of Bellevue's residents identifying as people of color and 42% being foreign-born. 
• In Redmond, 43% are foreign born. 

State of play: Home to several major employers such as Microsoft, Nintendo, T-Mobile and Costco Corporate, the Eastside has been compared to Silicon Valley.

• Bellevue led the world this year in office leasing activity by tech companies, the Seattle Times reported in July. 
• Together Pokémon, Snowflake and ByteDance leased more than 1 million square feet in Bellevue, per the Times.

What we're watching: The Eastside's transit options are expanding, with Sound Transit's new newly opened 6.5-mile East Link line between Bellevue and Redmond and the upcoming connection that will link to Seattle, Mercer Island and Judkins Park.

• It's an advantage for young cities to be able to plan expansion around the region's new transit connections and solid population data, says Branden Born, associate professor and chair of the Department of Urban Design and Planning at the University of Washington.

What they're saying: "The way these communities are looking at blending housing and employment along the Bellevue-Redmond corridor is sophisticated and contemporary," Born told Axios.