Ryan Packer
Ryan Packer has been writing for The Urbanist since 2015, and currently reports full-time as Contributing Editor. Their beats are transportation, land use, public space, traffic safety, and obscure community meetings. Packer has also reported for other regional outlets including BikePortland, Seattle Met, and PubliCola. They live in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle.
As other states start to reassess their prioritization of expanding highway capacity in the face of ambitious climate goals and other transportation needs, Washington is still in denial mode.
The Denny Regrade, completed between 1897 and 1930, changed the face of Seattle's downtown forever. This video from Seattle's municipal archives breaks down how it happened and why.
The $174 million RapidRide I Line between Renton, Kent, and Auburn is poised to start construction soon after Metro's receipt of a FTA grant in the final days of the Biden Administration. The enhanced bus line is slated to open in 2027.
The idea of encouraging more residential development around Seattle's stadiums had been put on ice in 2023 with the adoption of a citywide maritime and industrial strategy. Nelson's bill reignites that debate just as the council starts to consider the Comprehensive Plan.
A quiet change to the spending categories in Seattle's dedicated transit funding measure mean that the City of Seattle will be able to hire dozens of staff to work on different aspects of Sound Transit planning.
Democratic leaders are saying this is the year that the Washington State Legislature will finally pass rent stabilization, with momentum building behind Rep. Emily Alvarado's bill.
A new bill introduced at the state legislature by longtime housing advocate Jessica Bateman would represent a sea change, limiting the ability of cities and counties to mandate high amounts of parking.
A popular bill from 2024 that would legalize neighborhood cafes in residential areas across Washington is back in 2025. It will likely continue to face headwinds from local governments.