Rubén Casas
Rubén joined The Urbanist's board in 2022. He is a scholar and teacher of rhetoric and writing at the University of Washington Tacoma. He is also the faculty lead of the Urban Environmental Justice Initiative at Urban@UW. In his work and advocacy, Rubén examines how cities and the institutions that comprise them imagine, plan, and build in ways that promote and/or discourage community and a sense of place.
In recent years, cities in the Northwest have responded affirmatively to calls to make housing more available and attainable through zoning reform. Portland, Oregon,...
Recently, I was asked for my definition of an urbanist. In reaching for a definition, I realized that I actually don’t have one--certainly not...
My summer reading list this year included a debut novel by Seth Fried titled The Municipalists, which CityLab described as “the urban planning Sci-Fi...
The McMenamins Elks Temple in Tacoma has been open for two weeks. With its five eateries and bars, ballroom, and 45 hotel rooms, this...
Backyard cottages are officially a go in Tacoma but what's next?
The City of Tacoma has officially adopted new rules which make it much easier...
Residents of Tacoma largely support a change to the municipal code that would make it easier for home owners to add a secondary living...
In a previous installment, I wrote about the strain put on sidewalks when cities privatize, sell off, fail to maintain, or don’t care to...
Tacoma is growing. City, county, and regional leaders and planners are working to meet this growth with transportation options aligned with state mandates and...