Data

Smart Grids: Technology for a Green Urban Energy Future

The buzzwords “smart grid” have been floating around in environmentalist circles, national security circles, and it’s even made an appearance in urbanist media. Hype...

Map of the Week: Rainfall Across Seattle Neighborhoods

Some places in Seattle are wetter than others, according to new data from Seattle Public Utilities. SPU recently released a map showing variations in...
The intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Othello Street.

Single Family Zones Are Biggest Culprits in Displacement of Black Seattleites

Seattle's single family areas have seen their Black population plummet by 9,126 since 1990. Meanwhile, "urban village" neighborhood have added more than 8,000 Black residents in that span. Why then is low-density zoning expected to blunt displacement?

Lynnwood Link Brings Huge Ridership Boost to Community Transit’s Swift Network

All three Swift Bus Rapid Transit routes operated by Community Transit saw double digit increases in ridership following the extension of light rail into Snohomish County, including a 36% jump for the Orange Line.

Map of the Week: Average Annual Household Carbon Emissions

We are a carbon-based society. Our daily lives are built around our ability to acquire and consume goods, produce things, move freely from one...

What Housing Shortage?

Why do Seattle rents continue to rise to higher and higher levels of unaffordability? A new narrative has taken hold to explain this: the housing...
Seattle Pacific Medical Center is a brick art deco building atop Beacon Hill dating backed to 1932.

285 Reasons Seattle’s Zoning is an [Unfunny] Joke

Strangely, it is very difficult to answer the question: "How many zones does Seattle have?" That alone suggests an uncomfortable answer. The Seattle Municipal Code...
The Space Needle is visible in the distance between towers from a South Lake Union roofdeck.

Seattle’s Population Nears 800,000 in Latest State Tally

Seattle grew by 18,500 residents in one year to a total of 797,700, according to recently released state figures. Meanwhile, Tacoma surpassed 225,000, Redmond crossed 80,000, and Bellevue hit 155,000 in those population estimates.