Civics and Culture

Mayor Murray Remarks on Seattle’s Achievements and Challenges

In his annual address, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray remarked on the city's significant progress towards some of its goals and made a number of...

Sunday Video: How China’s Flagship Belt and Road Project Stalled Out

https://youtu.be/AU1OvrbawE8 China has been heavily focused on global infrastructure initiatives through its Belt and Road strategy to increase the country’s prosperity and influence. A key...
Mockup of what new overhead wayfinding signs will look like at Westlake Station. (Sound Transit)

Sound Transit Updates Station Wayfinding and Seattle Implements New Street Wayfinding

As the Puget Sound Region comes out of a year's-long pandemic hibernation, local agencies are hard at work improving the wayfinding system for people...

Jason The Athletic Godfather

I wrote the following in 2012: At Letitia a gregarious basketball-player-looking character steps off. He always seems to know everybody. He'll get on the bus, plunk...

Transit Cuts Are On The Way for Every Corner of Seattle

Yesterday King County Metro announced broad service cuts affecting nearly every route starting on Monday March 23, while Sound Transit is also reducing service...

The Urbanist Podcast: The Big Seattle Food Episode

People love to talk about food, read about food, and -- we hope -- listen to podcasts about food too! In this episode, reporter...

The Benefits of Living Car-Free

I am often met with awestruck wonder when people learn I don’t have a car. After all, driving everywhere is the American way. There...

Looking Behind the Common Sense Elements of City Life

Introduction Last month, in Moustiers Sainte Marie, France, I watched several shopkeepers return a lost young bird to a part of town closer to its natural...