Features
Seattle Waterfront Park Project Finally Enters Its Home Stretch
A new aquarium and "Overlook Walk" to Pike Place Market headline a revamped Seattle Waterfront just one year away from its grand opening, all made possible by tearing down the Alaskan Way Viaduct.
Year of Housing 2.0 Mostly Fizzles Out at Washington Legislature
The state's 60-day legislative session wrapped on March 7 with only a few housing bills headed to Governor Inslee's desk. Rent stabilization, transit-oriented development, lot-splitting, and a builder's remedy all failed to pass.
Seattle Releases Comprehensive Plan Less Ambitious Than Bellevue
While Bellevue is projecting 225,000 additional residents by 2045, Seattle is anticipating a more modest 200,000 for its comprehensive planning purposes. In its new draft plan, Seattle adds fourplex zoning across most, but not all of the city, plus 24 "Neighborhood Centers" and one new urban center with more intensive zoning changes.
The Case Against RapidRide and For Funding Massive Transit Service Expansion Now
RapidRide projects soak up resources and take many years to come together. Instead of focusing on a trickle of RapidRide lines, Metro should ramp up bus service and route improvements systemwide with a network approach.
Announcing The Urbanist’s 2024 Advocacy Agenda
Focused on housing abundance and sustainable transportation, our 2024 advocacy agenda runs the gambit from comprehensive plan updates to transit upgrades and a safety-first Move Seattle Levy renewal.
Washington Senate Committee Guts Popular Neighborhood Cafe Bill
A popular neighborhood cafe bill that sailed through the Washington House has run into problems in the Senate, mostly dealing with the question of local control. The Association of Washington Cities and the City of Bellevue have lobbied against the bill.
Mobility Advocates Push Seattle to Seek Bigger $3 Billion Levy
"To put the city on track to meeting its mobility, safety, equity, maintenance, and sustainability goals," the coalition of mobility and climate groups wrote, "Seattle must invest just over $3 billion over the next 8 years" in building 60 miles of dedicated transit corridors, 331 miles of new sidewalks, and 154 miles of new bike facilities, among other goals.
Tacoma’s Grand Rezoning Plan Comes into View
If implemented, the new framework would make many of the types of buildings that already exist in abundance in Tacoma neighborhoods like Stadium and Proctor legal again to build across the city, with costly parking requirements in place reduced around current and planned transit.