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Civics and Culture

Bike Lane Proposal Would Connect Seattle Center FIFA Fan Zone

The new Fourth Avenue bike lane extension is set to provide direct access to Seattle Center's front door, connecting the campus's fan zone to the rest of downtown. It's an outlier as a permanent infrastructure upgrade being built to accommodate FIFA.
A group shot of more than 50 campaign supporters for Yes on Prop 1 holding signs.

Op-Ed: Renew Democracy Vouchers, Vote Yes on Seattle Prop 1

It is vital that Seattleites vote yes on Proposition 1 in the August 5 primary to renew the democracy voucher program for another 10 years. Here's Jazmine Smith's case for why.

Seattle, King County Brace for Impact of Coming Federal Funding Earthquake

At the city and the county level, local leaders are preparing for the impacts of the new federal reconciliation bill, described as "devastating." Those impacts will be felt everywhere from hospitals to food banks.
Nelson stands at a lectern with a row of providers standing behind her.

Seattle Council Targets Nuisance Properties, Graffiti, and Safety-Themed Sales Tax Bump

Last Tuesday, the Seattle City Council voted 7-1 to pass changes to the city’s 16-year-old nuisance property ordinance that will expand the powers of the Seattle Police Department (SPD) to declare a business or residence a “chronic nuisance.”  As Council ramps up criminalization and weighs funding more addiction treatment services, do their plans add up to a cohesive strategy?
Rinck holds the mic on the Vermillion stage. She has long dark hair and a nose piercing.

Rinck Backs Capitol Hill Crisis Center, Other Seattle Officials Coy

King County is seeking to site a walk-in mental health crisis center in Capitol Hill, but a group of local business owners and residents are pushing back. Health care providers have backed the location, and Seattle Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck has emerged as a vocal proponent, while her colleagues and Mayor Bruce Harrell have mostly withheld support.

Op-Ed: Restoring Seattle’s Community Court Is Good, Pre-Filing Diversion Even Better 

Reviving community court isn’t a simple fix for Seattle’s criminal legal system — pre-filing diversion programs are more effective, cost less money, and avoid the harmful consequences of prosecution. Here's one Seattle City Attorney candidate's plan.

Resilient Arts Sector Revitalizes Seattle, but High Rents Remain Hurdle

The arts have been key to Seattle bouncing back from the pandemic, helping to fill vacant storefronts, but finding affordable spaces to house art and the artists who make it remains a challenge. Artists are hoping a longshot bid to repurpose the abandoned El Rey Apartments could provide an anchor.
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?"