Construction

Streets Closed sign in Youngstown bars access to the West Seattle Bridge. (Photo by Doug Trumm)

City Seeking Contractor for West Seattle Bridge Repair

The West Seattle High Rise Bridge safety project has made progress since Mayor Jenny Durkan's announcement to repair, rather than replace, the West Seattle...

Sunday Video: What’s So Good About Point Access Block (Single-Stair) Buildings?

Point access block (single-stair) buildings are ubiquitous across the globe, except for North America. Building codes are the big reason why. Debate in recent...

To Meet Housing and Sustainability Goals, Seattle Must Streamline Land Use Code

Few things perfectly encapsulate the problems of planning like a city’s land use code. Unlike the building code, which dictates the life safety requirements...

Natural Light In Buildings: NIMBY Rhetoric Or Livability Staple

Cities face a complex web of interconnected problems today — affordability, transportation, safety, livability and many others. Often these problems appear to be in...
The immediate station area of BelRed station

East Link TOD: BelRed’s Scattered Development Could Preface Bigger Housing Boom

Near Bel-Red Station, more than 3,500 new homes have been built or permitted since 2017. However, development has been patchy due to uneven zoning.
A lawn with concrete steps ringed by trees with the shiny new towers of Downtown Bellevue rising above in the background.

East Link TOD: Housing Growth Picks Up in Downtown Bellevue Ahead of Light Rail

We're starting our transit-oriented development (TOD) series in Downtown Bellevue. Check out how the Eastside's highrise capital has been growing, with 13,000 homes recently added or in development, in anticipation of East Link light rail's arrival on April 27.
SLI's 47+7 building in the U District. (Photo by Shaun Kuo)

The Potential and Pitfalls of Prefabricated Buildings

The City issued permits on January 17th for another new tower in Belltown, but this one was a little different. The developer, Sustainable Living...
NE Juanita Dr and its unprotected pedestrian path

Navigating Kirkland’s Pedestrian Nightmare — And Paradise

Whenever I write an article or series that charts the development of cities and neighborhoods in the Puget Sound, I always make an effort...