Take the fifth installment of The Urbanist's crossword series, which runs every two weeks. If you love to take a contemplative moment with a brain-teasing puzzle, but you’re tired of nationally syndicated crosswords with no local flair or stance on high-capacity transit, you’re right where you need to be.

Op-Ed: ICE Tactical Units Are Preparing to Deploy in Seattle —...

We need to be absolutely clear: we will not allow Seattle to become a testing ground for authoritarianism. And resistance starts with using every legal tool at our disposal. The Seattle City Attorney’s office has a central role to play in defending our neighbors and our fundamental rights. Here’s how:
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King County’s Housing First Initiative Boasts High Success Rate

King County's Health Through Housing program provides a road map for exiting homelessness, providing housing first to stabilize people, and it’s working. Newly unveiled 2024 data shows a high rate of success among participants.
The mass timber framework is visible on a six-story office building as a tower crane lowers a siding panel into place.

Harrell Proposes Design Review Moratorium, Interim Legislation Complying with State Mandate

On Tuesday, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell rolled out a package of design review reforms intended to speed up homebuilding and comply with a state deadline that is fast approaching. The mayor has proposed a six-month pause on design review requirements to ensure state compliance in time and provide a transition to the overhauled, leaner system.
A bus on Rainier Avenue passes by as a pedestrian walks up the side street in Columbia City.

Op-Ed: Expand Urbanism, Emphasize Inclusion and Equity in Our Shared Vision

King County Council Chair Girmay Zahilay and Rian Watt make the case for a more inclusive urbanism: "To fully realize the transformative promise of urbanism, we must be willing to ask: urbanism for whom?"
A view north up First Avenue shows a hodge of Pioneer Square historic brick buidlings, tall glass scrapers and a large parking garage.

Op-Ed: It’s Time to Bring Transit Back to Seattle’s First Avenue

Restoring transit routes to First Avenue, after they were removed in 2011 to make way for the demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct, is a needed step in downtown mobility as the neighborhood enters a new era.
A train in testing arriving at Downtown Redmond, with buildings under construction behnind

Sound Transit Shutters Redmond Link for Repairs Attributed to Heat Wave

Last night, Sound Transit announced it was shutting down 2 Line light rail service on its new Redmond segment (which just opened May 10) to allow for overhead wire repairs. Until that work is complete and inspected, a bus bridge is replacing the light rail service, connecting to Overlake Station where the 2 Line continues to operate in the shortened segment to South Bellevue.
A large first sculture on home plate of the baseball field at Cal Anderson.

Op-Ed: Seattle Police Mishandled Protests Again, We Must Learn from Mistakes

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell called for an internal report after police took heat for disrupting a pro-LGBTQ counterprotest and shielding anti-trans protesters. Given a long-running pattern of police failures, the process must be public and rigorous to make a difference, Seattle City Attorney candidate Rory O'Sullivan argues.

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Join The Urbanist for June Events, Eastside Forum on July 6th

Headlining our June events, we urge folks to attend the Seattle Comprehensive Plan public comment session on June 23. The Urbanist is also hosting an "Urbanism on the Eastside" panel on Sunday, July 6.

June 4th Seattle Candidate Forum to Focus on Transportation and Housing

The Urbanist will be co-hosting a Seattle candidate forum on June 4th in Beacon Hill along with allied housing and transportation organizations. It will be a fantastic chance to hear from candidates for Seattle Mayor and City Council. RSVP today!

Join Us for The Urbanist’s Summer Garden Party, Bike Rides, Forum

We are hosting a flurry of events over the next month, including our May 31st bagel-themed bike ride, a June 4th Seattle candidate forum, and a Bellevue garden party on June 8th. Space is limited, so get tickets now.

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Sound Transit Greenlights Bothell Stride Bus Base Construction Contract

The impending start of construction of the 12.5-acre bus base in Canyon Park marks a significant milestone for the Sound Transit Stride bus rapid transit network, expected to open in phases between 2028 and 2029.

Sound Transit Starts I-90 Testing, Full 2-Line Opening Slips to 2026

The unpowered tow across the I-90 floating bridge Wednesday marks a big milestone for the beleaguered East Link project. A grand opening of the 2 Line in early 2026 is highly dependent on how the next few months of testing go.
A photo of colorful townhouses with a tree in front.

Bellevue Councilmembers Twist Themselves in Knots Over Middle Housing Changes

Presented with a recommendation to allow additional density beyond a state mandate, a bloc of Bellevue's council pushed for more process and study. This November's election, when five of seven councilmembers must defend their seats, looms large in the background.

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Judge Dismisses Last-Ditch Challenges of Draft Seattle Growth Plan

Quick decisions by a King County Superior Court ruled that two separate challenges to the One Seattle Plan's environmental review will have to wait until the Seattle City Council makes a final decision on the growth plan.
A large home in North Capitol Hill with a sloping front lawn

Seattle Just Rezoned Entire City — That Was the Easy Part

To meet a state deadline, the Seattle City Council legalized fourplexes or sixplexes across the entire city via the adoption of an interim code Tuesday. The move is just a prelude to a bigger fight over urban density, as Council advances Mayor Bruce Harrell's broader growth plan.
A five-story apartment building along Aurora Avenue with the sunset in the background.

Harrell Chops Off Dozens of City Blocks from Planned Growth Centers

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has shrunk the dimensions of eight neighborhood centers and six urban center expansions he proposed last year. The move chops dozens of blocks off the growth centers, limiting opportunities for apartments and affordable homebuilding and drawing criticism from housing advocates.

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A line forms out the door into the plaza at El Centro de la Raza.

An Audio Recap of The Urbanist’s ‘Future of Seattle Housing’ Panel

Want a deep dive on the latest in Seattle housing policy? The Urbanist has you covered. Check out this recording and transcript of our April housing panel with experts.

Urbanist Reporters Appear on Hacks and Wonks Podcast

The Urbanist's contributing editor Ryan Packer and reporter Amy Sundberg appeared on back-to-back episodes of the Hacks and Wonks podcast this week. Be sure...
Ryan Packer in a bike helmet along a bike path with an autumn-colored tree behind

Ryan Packer Talks Vision Zero, Traffic Safety on Hacks and Wonks...

Ryan Packer broke down local "Vision Zero" traffic safety campaigns on a recent episode of the Hacks and Wonks podcast.

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