Image description: a sketch of a Link light rail train at an elevated station with text reading: Move Redmond 12:00 to 4PM May 10th Redmond 2 Line Opening Celebration - trails 2 transit presented by Sound Transit at Downtown Redmond Station..

Civics and Culture

A Christmas Market That Doesn’t Suck Is Still Elusive for Seattle

Holiday merrymaking should involve more whimsy, less rigmarole, and less price gouging. Seattle still hasn't cracked the code to create a true Christmas market that...
A line out the door at the Southcenter Jolibee

How Fried Chicken Can Ruin Cities or Enrich Them

Clogging arteries is a fast food joint specialty, but good urban planning can get things flowing. You may have seen in the news that some...
Entrance gate to T-Mobile Park with crowd going through ticketing, looking upward towards soft clouds and banners for Vegas and Seattle.

The NHL Winter Classic Can Accelerate Seattle’s Sonics Boom

Seattle’s big hockey Winter Classic success at the ballpark offers lessons to nightly sports on the other side of town.

Three Transit-Friendly Winter Dates to Ride Out Seasonal Depression

Do you and your partner dream of exploring the Tokyo subway together or taking a stroll through a pedestrian-friendly piazza? Are you living a...
A horned Krampus dances on the Space Needle in silhouette, with label Urbanist Gore 2024

Urbanist G.O.R.E. 2024!

The annual visit of the Krampus, bringing G.O.R.E. for the coming year. That is Goals to do, Obstacles to avoid, Resolutions to try better, and places to Explore.

Urban Art: Elevating Aesthetics and Cultural Identity in Cities

The term “urban art” describes visual art forms that are created by and representative of city dwellers. While you may see pieces in galleries,...

The Urbanist’s Corrections and Regrets of 2023

Journalistic integrity demands we review the tapes for the last year, and own up to our failings. Here are the corrections and regrets for 2023.
A rainy downtown Seattle street scene with bus 590 approaching.

America’s Pessimism Isn’t Economic, Stupid – It’s Human 

Economists are trying to figure out the dissonance between a recovering economy and America's deep pessimism. They're looking in the wrong place.