Yearly Archives: 2025

A woman jogs down Wallingford Avenue on a block of single family homes with Lake Union and the Seattle skyline in the background.

Op-Ed: Seattle Council Should Scale Up Neighborhood Centers in Growth Plan

On Monday, June 23, the Seattle City Council is holding a public hearing on the One Seattle growth plan. Housing advocates must defend the 29 neighborhood centers in the plan and push to add more. Jazmine Smith lays out the case for these eight additions.

New Segment of Lake-to-Sound Trail Opens in South King County

King County celebrated the opening of a new 2.2-mile segment of the Lake to Sound Trail in SeaTac earlier this month. When complete, the 16-mile non-motorized trail will stretch from the southern tip of Lake Washington in Renton to the shores of Puget Sound in Des Moines.

Extra Vashon Water-Taxi Trips Extended, Bremerton Fast Ferry Could Face Cuts

King County will continue offering 10 daily round trips on weekdays between Vashon and Downtown Seattle through 2027. Meanwhile, service levels on the Bremerton fast ferry are still being negotiated.
A mother and her two sons walk on a pedestrian path between a row of townhomes. She wears a headscarf and her older son wears a Lebron James jersey. The younger is on a skateboard.

License Plate Readers Proliferate in Washington, Bringing Concerns over ICE Overreach

Automatic license plate readers have proliferated across 81 cities in Washington State, and audits have shown federal agents and anti-abortion states are using Washington plate data to hunt abortion seekers, immigrants, and refugees. This is despite state sanctuary laws intended to shield such vulnerable populations.
Harrell holds ceremonial gold scissors to cut the red ribbon on a widen sidewalk next to a new protected bike lane on Pike Street on the I-5 overpass bridge to Capitol Hill. The new convention center is in the background.

Seattle Leaders Tout Bike and Pedestrian Upgrades for Pike and Pine

On June 11, Seattle officials celebrated the completion of a major overhaul of Pike Street and Pine Street, improving connectivity between Downtown and Capitol Hill. The project features planter-protected bike lanes, wider sidewalks, public art, and a one-block pedestrianization near the Market.

Resilient Arts Sector Revitalizes Seattle, but High Rents Remain Hurdle

The arts have been key to Seattle bouncing back from the pandemic, helping to fill vacant storefronts, but finding affordable spaces to house art and the artists who make it remains a challenge. Artists are hoping a longshot bid to repurpose the abandoned El Rey Apartments could provide an anchor.

Harrell Official Minimizes Cuts to Housing Growth Centers as ‘Very Small’

After dozens of blocks were dropped from the One Seattle housing growth plan, planner Michael Hubner downplayed the changes as minimal. The Seattle Planning Commission painted the move as pushing the city is headed in the wrong direction.
A group of about 20 advocates pose with signs next to House-y the social housing mascot

Harrell Proposes $2 Million Loan to Kickstart Seattle Social Housing Developer

On Monday, Mayor Bruce Harrell announced a proposal for a $2 million bridge loan to the Seattle Social Housing Developer. Harrell campaigned against the successful grassroots social housing funding measure in the recent February election, but is pledging support going forward.