Sky high: After delays, the world’s tallest skyscraper in Jeddah is getting construction underway.
Kenmore urbanism: Crosscut highlighted this week how urban life is taking root in the faraway suburb of Kenmore.
Growing bay: In the Bay Area, rising sea levels and sinking ground could pose a double-whammy for the future.
Budget cuts: Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan has called for city departments to cut 2% to 5% of budgets ($).
LAX design czar: Los Angeles just hired a local architecture critic as the city’s first design czar.
Batty policy: CityLab highlighted this week what the research says about arming teaching staff with guns.
Federal regression: This week, the United States Senate voted to rollback anti-discrimination regulations ($) on mortgage lenders.
Tragic failure: A pedestrian bridge under construction in Florida collapsed this week, but the push to build it in the first place speaks volumes about backward transportation policies.
Testing the waters: In Berkeley, a developer is using a new state law to bypass local process since more than 50% of the unit will be affordable.
Joining the railvolution: The British Columbian government will help fund the Cascadia high-speed rail study to the tune of $300,000.
New Vic: Across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Victoria is under pressure to grow.
Disputable figures: In a memo, King County Metro Transit claims that Seattle is underestimating the cost of streetcar operations by up to a third ($).
Restoring coastal forests: The Nature Conservancy is experimenting with a pilot effort to bring back coastal forests in Washington.
Map of the Week: Low-income renter households continue to experience severe challenges with affordability.
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.