Economics

Over 90% of Seattle’s New Buildings Are Mixed-Use or Multi-Family

The City of Seattle released new construction data on January 15th and it shows a remarkable amount of new building. There were 8,311 housing...

Sunday Video: The Real Cost of Cruises

https://youtu.be/0nCT8h8gO1g Hasan Minhaj explains the downsides of the growing cruise ship industry.
A pergola shelters a street cafe on Ballard Avenue, with a person biking by in the street.

Policy Lab: Why Are Seattle Restaurants So Expensive?

Seattle service workers are set to get a major wage hike, unless restaurant lobbyists get their way. But policymakers can support the restaurant industry in better ways than simply cutting worker pay.

Interbay Industrial Plans Are Squandering Freight Rail Access

Is Seattle allowing rail to wither on the vine? Northwest of Downtown Seattle, there is a frequently overlooked asset in the fight against climate change....

Seattle Among U.S. Cities Where Inflation is Growing the Most

It's hard to avoid the topic of inflation these days. Price increases on basic goods are impossible to overlook at most stores, discussion of...

Sunday Video: Does My Neighborhood Determine My Future?

https://youtu.be/pu2sKNJMH-k Vox looks at the history of redlining, practices of renting and selling property, zoning practices, public services and investments, and environmental health that collectively...

Want to Revitalize Downtown? Here’s Eight Ways How

In the spring of 2020, downtown Seattle sat empty. A once bustling and growing core of tower cranes, thriving businesses, and active neighborhoods was...
A public mural from the New Deal arts program. (William Gropper / Public Domain)

Should The Government Invest in High-Speed Rail to Boost a Post-Pandemic Economic Recovery?

As we live through the current moment, it is difficult to understate the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on the world. While...