VMT trial: Washington State will begin testing out vehicle mile traveled technology for road charges, replacing the gas tax.

New Seattle Senator: Rebecca Saldana of Puget Sound Sage was selected by the King County Council to take former-Senator Pramila Jayapal’s seat in the State Legislature.

Big VA rail investments: A $5.2 billion plan in Virginia could lead to faster trains between Washington, D.C. and Richmond, but the corridor also matters for the larger Northeast Corridor and Southeast Corridor.

Surprise, it works: Three pieces of data show that raising the minimum wage is generally good for local economies, contrary to right-wing ideologues.

Leeds LRT: Light rail advocates make their case in Leeds, England for a new system.

Winter vibrancy: Edmonton is designing a city that thrives in winter.

Building challengeWhy it’s so hard to build affordable housing.

Vacant PhillyPhiladelphia has 13,000 vacant residential properties, thousands of which are unsafe.

Health crisis: What a repeal of Obamacare would mean for Washington.

New paradigmPortland will start counting people trips instead of vehicle trips.

Thoughts on design26 things that CHS heard at the first design review meeting for development at Capitol Hill Station.

WA priorities: An early look at Governor Jay Inslee’s upcoming budget plans to fully fund education by charging polluters, capital gains earners, and closing tax loopholes.

Better than on target: The First Hill Streetcar is beating its 2030 ridership targets.

Making public space: Tulsa shows how to convert a parking lot into a world-class public space.

Stopping highwaysHow to thwart new highway building.

A new CD?: Seattle Weekly pens a piece titled “Searching for a New Central District in Suburban King County“, which looks at a burgeoning African-American community in Kent.

Maltby growth: A new multi-family residential development proposal in the Maltby area has local rural residents concerned.

How they rank: Which American metropolitan areas have been hardest hit by rising eviction rates?

Remaking Fremont: Seattle has a chance to make walking, biking, and transit better in the heart of Fremont.

Less dense: Many neighborhoods in Denver were a lot denser in 1950 than today.

Maddux speaks: Progressive political titan Michael Maddux talks housing affordability, land value taxes, inclusionary zoning, and land use policy.

Trouble in the Antarctic: The Antarctic is shedding an iceberg the size of Delaware.

Budget shortfall: Seattle Public Schools are facing a $74 million budget shortfall meaning that staff cuts are almost assured.

Appeal dismissed: An appeal against a mixed-use development on 19th Ave E in Capitol Hill has been dismissed.

Searching further afield: Why tech companies aren’t taking all that many local grads for new jobs.

Map of the Week: Mapping the stark differences of the rich and poor in American cities.

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.