Data

A mother and her two sons walk on a pedestrian path between a row of townhomes. She wears a headscarf and her older son wears a Lebron James jersey. The younger is on a skateboard.

License Plate Readers Proliferate in Washington, Bringing Concerns over ICE Overreach

Automatic license plate readers have proliferated across 81 cities in Washington State, and audits have shown federal agents and anti-abortion states are using Washington plate data to hunt abortion seekers, immigrants, and refugees. This is despite state sanctuary laws intended to shield such vulnerable populations.

Pronto Turns One: Data from the First Year

Happy birthday to Pronto! Boy does time fly. Seattle's bike share turns one today and there's a lot to celebrate. In Pronto's first year,...

Map of the Week: Densification Is Everywhere

Between 2012 and 2013, Seattle was the nation's fastest growing big city ($). Headline after headline since cheered this revelation, and it may very well still be...

Seattle Tops 730,000 Residents in 2018, State and Region Continue to Grow

New population estimates for 2018 have been released by the Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM). The estimates differ from the annual census...
Seattle Skyline with I-5 trench and Freeway Park overhead.

Americans Are Ready to Move On from Highway Expansion Even If Politicians Persist

A new poll found 82% of voters don’t believe highway expansions are the best solution for reducing congestion. America runs on highway sprawl and car...
Sydney, Australia during Vivid Lights festival. (Photo by Hugh Han on Unsplash)

Smart Cities Require Better Digital Privacy Planning

We’ve moved beyond the initial excitement about the sizzle of smart cities. The basic idea—much heralded but limited so far in practical application—is to...

Where Did King County Metro’s Ridership Go?

A third of King County Metro's pre-pandemic transit ridership has yet to return, and many agencies are seeing stronger rebounds. Where did the bus riders go?
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...