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...
Op-Ed: Seattle Water-Main Cost-Sharing Proposal Does Not Go Far Enough
Civil engineer Donna Breske argued Seattle Public Utilities misguided water hookup policies lead to unequal outcomes, effectively downzoning much of the city where fees are too high to make projects feasible.
Sound Transit’s U District Development Site Should Be an Affordable Tower
Last week, Sound Transit released a survey on the U District Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). The parcel at 1000 NE 45th Street is in question,...
Op-Ed: Seattle’s Water Main Upgrade Policy is Causing Higher Costs and Homebuilding Snags
A City stakeholder meeting on May 25 holds the prospect of improving processes around water system upgrades and permitting.
The Urbanist has covered before how...
Apartment Production Declines toward a 5-Year Low in Seattle Metro
The numbers come from a new national report, but data from the City of Seattle also indicates a sustained decrease in housing production.
According...
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...
Redmond Sees New Neighborhood Burgeon Around Marymoor Park as Light Rail Arrives
The 2017 Marymoor Village growth center has led to a number of larger multifamily developments in the area around Marymoor Park in Southeast Redmond. This weekend, light rail finally arrives.
County Proposes Concrete Co-Op as Private Companies Continue to Throttle Supply and Lock Out...
Last week, concrete drivers represented by Teamster Local No. 174 offered to return to work at three of the six concrete companies facing a...