Saving the world: An international climate change agreement has been struck in Paris to limit temperature rise to 2 degrees celsius by 2100.

Change the models: Economists agree that economic modelling is underestimating the impact of climate change.

LVT NZ: New Zealand lecturers make a case for a land value tax for unimproved property to mitigate the local housing crisis in Auckland.

New development coming: Roosevelt is getting 250 more residential units. Meanwhile, a 49-unit apartment building (with microhousing units) in Capitol Hill and 84-unit apartment building in First Hill wrap up design review.

Yes to safety: The City of Bellevue adopted an ordinance endorsing Vision Zero principles.

Odd yeller: Would you like to live near a screaming skyscraper? Some Mancunians have to whether they like it or not.

Be engaged: Former Mayor Mike McGinn pens a must-read piece on Crosscut entitled “Year of the Seattle Urbanist? Not Quite Yet“.

Put a tower on it: The Maritime Building on Western Avenue is staying, but it may get an eight-story addition.

Joining forces: Cascade Bicycle Club and WA Bikes officially merge to create largest statewide bicycle advocacy organization.

Become a plannerd: Ever wanted to be a land use planner? If one Kickstarter is successful, you might just have a shot. Bay Area Regional Planner, a multi-player game, puts the power of planning into your hands.

Streetcars for all: Atlanta is going all-in on a streetcar network expansion to compliment MARTA and local transit service.

Local heroes: Seattle Bike Blog profiles the 2015 Seattle Neighborhood Greenway Champions.

Walkable schools: How colleges are improving campus walkability for students and staff.

Nordic socialism: An explainer on Finland’s foray into the basic income safety net.

Park Avenue: Perkins Eastman Architects have unveiled a proposal to turn New York City’s Broadway into one long park.

Return of the DADU: The detached accessory dwelling unit (DADU) issue has returned to Seattle consciousness, legislation forthcoming.

Bikeshare + transit: Streetsblog looks at two examples of how bikeshare benefits transit.

Pay bump: Seattle’s minimum wage law will kick it up a notch in 2016.

Sound Transit 3: Seattle Transit Blog evaluates financial options for Sound Transit 3.

Capitol Hill retakeA look back at the old streetcar network operating from Capitol Hill.

The American SFR: Old Urbanist cleans off the dust and talks about the history of single-family residential zoning, how it works, and ongoing debate.

Map of the Week: Student debt across America.

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.