Michael Eliason, the urban planning advocate who is credited with creating a mandate for green building standards for social housing in Seattle, is no longer on staff at the Seattle Social Housing Developer. The change represents a pivot for the fledgling public developer.
Burlington, Friday Harbor, Mount Vernon, Oak Harbor, and Washougal will be the next cities and towns to see a state review under the Housing Accountability Act. Approved in 2025, that new law seeks to provide more consistency when it comes to zoning and development regulations across jurisdictions.
The new 0.1% sales tax for transportation will bring Bellevue more than $100 million over the next decade. The final spend plan tries to straddle the line, upgrading bike and pedestrian facilities but also expanding car capacity.
The so-called Occidental Promenade set to be installed in 2027 builds on past studies for pedestrian upgrades in the stadium district. The pilot project carves out seating areas and bike parking while adding traffic calming.
A gubernatorial taskforce recommends the legislature take steps to stand up a Department of Housing in 2027, funding a small startup team and cabinet position. A phased rollout would follow, taking on existing programs and functions from elsewhere in state government.
The City of Kirkland is hoping a new name for the area around a forthcoming bus rapid transit station can aid in revitalization efforts, providing a catalyst after years of lackluster development activity.
Unanimous votes this week mean that Community Transit will take over operations on Everett's local bus system next April, setting in motion a 50% expansion of service by 2031. The move will also bring a unified transit network that will benefit riders across Snohomish County.
Though the Seattle Council closed off the path of city-level challenges to Comprehensive Plan updates this summer, Lin's forthcoming bill would make an exception for a pair of appeals that have been active since last year. He frames the move as helping to put the issues to rest.
Voters signed onto public transit funding measures in both Seattle and Pierce County Tuesday night, with both passing handily. The two measures represent big wins for Pierce County leaders and for Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson.
When Seattle City Light's eight-stall EV charging lot was first proposed in 2022, a completion date before year end seemed within reach. After design, procurement, and quality control issues, its timeline has slipped to September 2027.