Features

Planning Commission Pushes for Bolder One Seattle Plan Re-envisioning City Streets

The Seattle Planning Commission has laid out a bold re-envisioning of public rights-of-way they hope will be incorporated into the 2024 major update to...

Governor Inslee Touts Homelessness Strategy and Previews State Zoning and Permitting Reform Push

Governor Jay Inslee was in Seattle yesterday to tout his efforts to reduce homelessness across Washington State, which he said were bearing fruit. Inslee...

Seattle City Council Floats Car Tab Increase, New Bikeshare Tax During Budget Discussions

To pay for additional transportation projects, the Seattle City Council is contemplating a $10 increase to the city's vehicle license fee, doubling school zone...
A drawing of a housing development made up of one small multifamily building in front with four tiny houses behind it. There is a bike shed to the left and parking spaces for cars near the bottom of the drawing.

Burien Council Passes Tenant Protections and Extends Affordable Housing Program

After a tense night of debate, the Burien City Council voted to preserve an affordable housing program for another two years at its October...
A red and gold RapidRide bus in Pioneer Square with the Seattle skyline in the background.

County Council Grapples With Future of King County Metro in Proposed Budget

While Seattle's budget proposal has been grabbing most of the headlines over the past month, the King County Council is also thick in the...

Capitol Hill Pedestrian Superblock Dreams Revived During Tour with Mosqueda and Spotts

On Monday, urbanist advocates joined Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda in envisioning a pedestrianized "superblock" zone in the heart of Capitol Hill. Members of the Capitol...
A sketch of the Pacific Tower parking lot TOD project showing lots of trees and greenery and the 160 apartment homes at the base of the distinctive orange brick Pacific Tower building in Beacon Hill. Image by Weber Thompson.

Seattle Public Utilities Is Exacting Impermissible Capital Improvement Fees

Project requirements suggest a pattern of double charging, which nearly sunk a 160-unit affordable housing project in Beacon Hill. Navigating the Seattle permitting system is...

Who Runs Seattle’s Public Restrooms?

A journey into the city’s soft gates and silos. Here's an interesting fact: Seattle has fewer 24/7 public restrooms than it does publicly financed stadiums. That...