Civics and Culture
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.
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.
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.
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.