Eastside

Andrew Villeneuve offers recommendations for Redmond eats, activities, and happenings and invites urbanists to Northwest Progressive Institute's Downtown Redmond Link opening day celebration on May 10.

The changes being considered by the Bellevue Planning Commission right now would go further than the minimum state mandate, allowing up to six units in many more areas and with considerable flexibility.

After considering a full halt on multifamily development, tourist-focused Woodinville is set to add a 10% affordable housing requirement months ahead of a full analysis of potential affordability programs. Whether it's an earnest attempt at boosting affordability or a proxy for a building moratorium is anybody's guess at this point.

A newly adopted vision statement and guiding principles set the stage for future negotiations between Issaquah and Sound Transit over what the city's light rail station will look like and whether it will be surrounded by a parking crater or a vibrant, walkable neighborhood.

The final 4-3 vote represented a victory for the council's progressives, as a debate over addressing past discrimination and improving equity turned into a partisan issue. The reversal was a setback for Newcastle's conservative mayor, Robert Clark.

The Urbanist is hosting four social events in April. We're also kicking off our urbanism-themed walking tours starting in Kirkland. Plus, on May 10 we'll be hosting a booth at the opening celebration at Downtown Redmond Station.

The local endorsement of a preferred alternative means King County Metro can work toward full design. The agency hopes to secure federal funding at a time of great uncertainty around federal support for public transit projects.

The vision that Bellevue has for parking-dominated Wilburton is thousands of new homes close to transit and trail connections. The question now is getting the details right so that development can be fostered, rather than stifled.