Renter rights: Renters in Seattle don’t actually know their rights, but local organizations hope to change that. Meanwhile, landlords don’t think the city should help make housing affordable for tenants.
Fiscally Impossible: Washington’s transportation chief says that fixing congestion with highways is “fiscally impossible.”
Showbox: The Showbox, a cultural landmark in Seattle, could be on its way out, which many lament. However, the developer will first need to nominate it for historic landmarking ($).
Welcome aboard: A new ferry is joining the Washington State Ferries fleet.
Revised plans: Updated redevelopment plans for Northgate Mall include even more housing.
Funding the arts: 4Culture in King County is getting $1.5 million more in arts funding.
Extortion: The Mariners are threatening to not renew their lease for Safeco Field if the county doesn’t give it unnecessary handouts.
Dirty biz: The oil industry has dumped a lot more money in to oppose a carbon fee initiative in Washington.
California renters: Rent control is gaining popularity in California.
It’s the market: The Federal Way light rail extension is going to cost more than originally estimated.
Damaging wall: Scientists argue that the Trump regime’s border wall will cause irreparable harm to wildlife.
Tailor it to benefit: Taxing ride-hailing services is gaining steam, but they should be well thought out to benefit communities.
Dirty management: The federal regime is planning to end California’s ability to set emission standards for cars, which would affect many states adopting similar standards.
Renter zones: Burnaby will zone renter-only areas in the British Columbia city.
A little pricier: The cost of revamping KeyArena has gone up another $100 million.
Don’t break promises: Community leaders from Chinatown-International District urged the mayor to build the Center City Connector, which has been long-promised.
Mobikes is out: Washington, D.C. has lost a second private bikeshare company.
Visioning zero: London’s mayor Sadiq Khan is targeting zero traffic deaths by 2041.
All in for LRT: Surrey, British Columbia envisions 150 kilometers of light rail transit.
Hot box: Seattle is the least air conditioned major city in America ($).
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.