Environment & Sustainability

The Battle Over Allowing More Rural Accessory Dwelling Units in Washington

Whether allowing new detached dwelling units on most lots in the state's rural areas would undermine decades of growth planning is a question that's been put front-and-center by House Bill 2126.

Is It Time for a Radical Rethinking of Open Space in Seattle?

Seattle’s urban villages suffer not only from inadequate space to build multifamily housing, but there is also a massive open space inequity versus-single family...
Action shot catches the ceremonial first shovelful of dirt from a row of officials in mid-air.

Sound Transit Breaks Ground on Stride Electric Bus Base in Bothell

This week, Sound Transit broke ground on a $274 million base in Bothell vital to the region's Stride bus rapid transit plans. The base will support battery electric buses for the S1, S2, and S3 lines, which together compose 45 miles of service spanning from Lynnwood to Burien.
Geothermal well completed in Paris suburban Cachen in 2017(Courtesy of Dalkia)

How Geothermal Energy Makes All Cities More Efficient

In 2014 and 2017, the Washington Geological Survey was awarded grants by the Department of Energy to prospect and validate geothermal resources throughout the...

Midweek Video: Texas’s Power Disaster Is a Warning Sign for the US

https://youtu.be/Zcrsgdl_hP0 In this short video, Vox explains how Texas' March electric energy failure could be just the tip of the iceberg for America going forward....

Sunday Video: The Past And Future City

Stephanie Meeks, President and CEO of the Nation Trust for Historic Preservation, leads an insightful half-hour discussion on the past and future of cities...

An Open Letter To Elon Musk

Dear Mr. Musk, This letter is both a salute to your continued success and a challenge to consider (if you haven’t already) some ideas that...

Map of the Week: Average Annual Household Carbon Emissions

We are a carbon-based society. Our daily lives are built around our ability to acquire and consume goods, produce things, move freely from one...