Construction

Sunday Video: Bellevue SEM Tunneling

Sound Transit explains how the tunnel in Bellevue is being constructed without tunnel boring machines. https://youtu.be/hUJnSkKu7ZM

Despite Slowdown Worries, 2021 Sets A Townhouse Production Record in Seattle

Last year, The Urbanist covered a Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) report suggesting that townhouse development in Seattle might be...

Boring Excitement! Pamela Reaches The U District Link Station Site

TBM 2 Breakthrough 3-24-16 BROLL FOR MEDIA from Sound Transit Video on Vimeo. A little after nine o’clock Thursday morning, Sound Transit’s second active tunnel...
A view of a mountain in the distance behind a suburban neighborhood

Seattle’s Geologic Hazards Can Be Overwhelming, But Preparation Can Start Now 

“Seismic” buttons in Seattle’s elevators hide ubiquitously in plain sight. When I was new to the city last year, these buttons were a reminder...
Jackson Street with two pedestrians crossing at 5th Avenue next to the protected bike lane. The Chinatown station is in the background.

Sound Transit is Not Ready for Its Big Chinatown Station Decision

At a public meeting on Thursday afternoon, the Sound Transit Board of Directors intend to select preferred station locations for the light rail system's...
An aerial image shows an elevated light rail station next to a big staging area and a busy collector road.

Federal Way Link Stations Not Seeing a Housing Boom

Homebuilding activity is anemic near the three Sound Transit light rail stations opening this month in South King County. The Urbanist reviews the 3,000-plus homes in the development pipeline, and explores the obstacles standing in the way.
Apartments around Downtown Park

How Downtown Redmond Grew from Sleepy Suburb to Small City

Redmond's 1993 Downtown Plan led to an urban transformation that saw the construction of over 5,000 new units between 2000 and 2020. This Saturday, light rail arrives to support that urban growth.

NEOM Seattle – What the Saudi Megaprojects Would Look Like On Puget Sound

Since we last checked in on the megaproject/arcology beat, there has been some progress on the new NEOM linear city rising from the sands...