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Civics and Culture

A protester stands just to the right of a gaggle of protesters. A line of police officers approach.

Op-Ed: Those Maimed by ‘Less Lethal’ Weapons Oppose Re-arming Police with Them

The Seattle City Council is set to vote Tuesday to formally re-authorize use of "less lethal" crowd control weapons, like the blast balls that seriously injured folks like me in the summer of 2020. It sends exactly the wrong message around police accountability and reform.

Sunday Video: Give Amtrak Cascades The Upgrade It Deserves

High-speed rail as in investment in Cascadia remains a popular policy idea, but Reece Martin of RMTransit makes the case for prioritizing higher-speed rail upgrades to Amtrak Cascades.
The Capitol building in Olympia is marble colored and include pillars and a dome in the classic style.

Rolling Out The Urbanist 2025’s Advocacy Agenda and Early Events

The Urbanist unveils top advocacy priorities for 2025 and offers some ways to get involved.

Sunday Video: Utrecht and Fake London Weren’t Always So Different

Jason Slaughter of Not Just Bikes compares Utrecht, Netherlands and London, Ontario, showing how both cities became car-oriented in the mid-century era. However, Utrecht uniquely undid the damage, becoming a city highly oriented around pedestrian, bike, and transit infrastructure.
Sunset out of an Intercity Transit bus window in Thurston County.

Op-Ed: Washington State Should Allow Riders to Serve on Transit Boards

Transit advocates are gearing up to pass House Bill 2191, which would allow Public Transit Benefit Authority boards across the state to create voting seats for transit riders. The bill came up just short last session.

Seattle CID Development Authority Expands into Beacon Hill, Fighting Displacement

Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda) is seeking to anchor communities of color in place in and around the CID, with Beacon Pacific Village its latest housing project.
An empty driver seat in a Metro bus with a highway overpass in the background

The View From Nathan’s Bus: Shawn Yim and Keeping Transit Safe

Nathan Vass shares his remembrances of fellow driver Shawn Yim, who was murdered during a late-night shift earlier this month. He also urges leaders to prevent future tragedies with robust interventions.

Holiday Video: The Problem with Public Hearings

All too often, public hearings increase costs and consume time without meaningfully impacting decisions. Uytae Lee of About Here digs into the history of the public hearing and its utility, and whether another paradigm is worth pursuing.