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.
Senate Bill 5148, signed into law Tuesday, sets up a brand new framework of accountability around state housing law. The bill includes a so-called "builder's remedy" that is intended to force local governments to stay in compliance or see their zoning laws overridden.
Eastside leaders speechified and cut the ribbon on the Downtown Redmond Link light rail extension on Saturday. Thousands thronged the 2 Line to get their first look at the two new stations that opened, bringing the full line to ten stations.
The kiosks, scattered around downtown and eventually other busy business districts, would provide ad revenue for groups like the Downtown Seattle Association. Last year, the Seattle Design Commission rejected the proposal as half-baked and suggested a smaller pilot instead.
Light rail finally arrives in Downtown Redmond Saturday, the culmination of years of work by Eastside leaders to bring high-capacity transit to this growth hub.
The two bills represent two major pillars among a variety of housing measures approved during the 2025 legislative session, with a focus on both housing supply and stability for existing tenants.
The fully completed plan, intended to provide an array of strategies that would advance Pierce County toward a goal of eliminating deaths and serious injuries by 2035, was only approved by a 4-3 vote last week.
With the Seattle City Council set to consider amendments to required zoning changes this week, the city's planning commission highlighted the danger of adding on additional requirements including affordable housing mandates and changing thresholds for infrastructure upgrades.
Best Side Cycling gets on-the-ground at Pike Place Market to explore recent access changes that urbanists around the region are celebrating, a big step toward making Seattle's biggest tourist destination more people-centric.