The Unfinished Promise of the Center City Connector
Pioneer Square has the most to potentially lose--but also gain--from the connection of Seattle’s downtown streetcar lines.
During her daily commute into Pioneer Square...
Baltimore’s Harborplace: Elegy to a Dead Mall
Lessons from a one-time crown jewel of urban renewal.
Recently I got to be a tourist in my hometown. The hard part about going back...
South King County Pilot Shows Promise of Guaranteed Basic Income
In 2020, King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay initiated the King County Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot program, which was funded by community service operating grant...
Seattle Must Reject Austerity in Response to Covid Recession Budget Holes
The Urbanist joined more than 40 community organizations in signing a letter urging Mayor Jenny Durkan and the Seattle City Council to reject austerity...
Uber’s Hollow Promise For Cities
Uber has been in the news lately for offering cities a smidgen of their data on traffic patterns. Like so many things with Uber,...
Sagging Revenue Forecast Prompts Seattle Council to Push Back Budget Timeline
A “grave” report from the new Office of Economic and Revenue Forecasts (OERF) showed a hit to the general fund and a steep decline...
Seattle to Boost Downtown with Additional Street-Level Uses
On Monday, the Seattle City Council unanimously passed an ordinance to energize Downtown Seattle and South Lake Union (SLU) with new street-level uses. This...
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...