At a crossroads: Next City walks us through the affordable housing crisis in Seattle and the promise of HALA.

Tiny skyscrapers: New York City continues with skinny skyscraper tower building, this time with an elegant design by Foster + Partners.

Tough week: Pronto had a week of bad news; first with the destruction of a bike station by a rogue driver and then with the Feds declining a TIGER grant. (The Northgate Pedestrian and Bike Bridge also lost out on funding.)

Sustaining business: Councilmember Kshama Sawant floats a commercial rent stabilization proposal for small retail businesses.

Bike valet?: A few ideas on how to provide more bicycle parking and access to University of Washington Station. One bold idea includes a managed bike valet.

Turn it into art: Gum litter is not only unsightly and messy, but downright costly to clean up. One group in London has brought serious attention to the problem through an artistic campaign.

Urban collaboration: The University of Washington is establishing an interdisciplinary initiative to tackle urban issues.

Lower standards: The decline of union membership spell likely economic strife for future generations with lower wages and benefits.

Municipal broadband: The Seattle City Council will vote on a gigabit internet pilot program for Beacon Hill next month.

Tough choices: How our housing choices make adult friendships more difficult.

Don’t buy here: Regulators are concerned that home loan redlining could return.

Denying chance: Why loving your city makes you more vulnerable to disaster.

Saying “farewell”: Capitol Hill’s iconic Value Village store will close after Halloween; Macklemore is disappointed.

Bigger families: China ends the one-child policy in favor of a two-child policy to combat a rapidly aging population.

No surprise there: Parking regulations are based upon wild guesses.

Kama sutra architecture: A clever series of illustrations showing highrise towers in compromising poses.

Move Seattle: There’s a big cost to a “no” vote on the Move Seattle levy. But we strongly urge you to vote “yes”, and so do many many many others.

Article Author

Stephen is a professional urban planner in Puget Sound with a passion for sustainable, livable, and diverse cities. He is especially interested in how policies, regulations, and programs can promote positive outcomes for communities. With stints in great cities like Bellingham and Cork, Stephen currently lives in Seattle. He primarily covers land use and transportation issues and has been with The Urbanist since 2014.