Economics

Patrons eat in a new parklet patio at Gracia in Ballard. (Photo by Doug Trumm)

Seattle Considers Thinking About One Day Accepting Permits to Maybe Open Streets to Dining

Seattle will permit restaurants and retail shops to open into traffic-less public streets one block at a time. Two months after the idea was...
Wind turbines with one half-constructed turbine in the foreground.

Renewable Energy Can Power America’s Grid and Its Economic Recovery

It's been a few months since the initial outbreak of Covid-19, and pandemic has already altered our societal fabric in profound ways. Fewer people...

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...

Midweek Video: Why It’s So Hard To Get Unemployment Benefits

https://youtu.be/ualUPur6iks The American unemployment system is not universal in its design. How did we get to where we are and why are some systems designed...

Seattle Should Count Its Ecological Assets

Seattle's green urban assets are worth billions and valuing them could protect them. Thanks to Covid-19 and the West Seattle Bridge closure, the air is...

We’re Closer Than Ever To Progressive Tax Reform In Washington State

On Wednesday, the state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council released its updated revenue forecast, and in doing so kicked off one of the most...

Mosqueda’s Big Business Tax Would Funnel $200 Million per Year to Covid Recovery and...

Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda unveiled a big business tax proposal called "JumpStart Seattle" today that would raise $200 million per year from the wealthiest companies...
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...