Housing

The six panelists sit at a table with the Urbanist U logo on it and Ryna Packer is off to the side moderating.

Urbanism on the Eastside Panel Hints at Suburban Sea Change

At The Urbanist's “Urbanism on the Eastside” panel earlier this month, panelists discussed a sea change happening in the suburbs that are beginning to urbanize and break free of car dependence. Check out this recap of the discussion.
A six story apartment building in Sammamish next to a roundabout

Sammamish Council Pursues Denser Town Center Vision Amid Backlash

Sammamish will study increasing the upper limit on housing in its Town Center to 4,000 units, after nearly two decades of anemic growth under a previous growth framework. The 6-1 vote came after a significant amount of community opposition and misinformation.

Op-Ed: The War Over Tacoma’s Planting Strips

How the City of Tacoma uses planting strips along its streets tells a tale of haves and have-nots, and of our differing standards. The City has gone out of its way to exclude homeless people from this space with $163,000 worth of boulders.
Rinck holds the mic on the Vermillion stage. She has long dark hair and a nose piercing.

Rinck Backs Capitol Hill Crisis Center, Other Seattle Officials Coy

King County is seeking to site a walk-in mental health crisis center in Capitol Hill, but a group of local business owners and residents are pushing back. Health care providers have backed the location, and Seattle Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck has emerged as a vocal proponent, while her colleagues and Mayor Bruce Harrell have mostly withheld support.

Bothell Drops Parking Mandates, Legalizes Neighborhood Corner Stores Citywide

Bothell becomes the first city in either King or Snohomish County to fully eliminate off-street parking mandates in order to reduce costs for homebuilding. The move clearly solidifies the city as a leader on housing and land use reform.

Op-Ed: Cascadia’s Awakening — Building a Region That Works for All

Washington State has big housing plans and ambitious planning tools, but it needs binding commitments across public, private, and social sectors to turn vision into reality. As it stands, housing isn't being built fast enough to stem the affordability crisis.
A peach-colored house with teal trim and a grassy lawn

Seattle Eases Accessory Dwelling Restrictions Just Ahead of State Deadline

Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) just got a bit easier to build in Seattle, as legislation passed in May went into effect yesterday. The reform will help Seattle meet state mandates to make ADUs easier to built. Ultimately, wider middle housing reforms planned in the coming months may prove more attractive to builders.
Alexis and Shaun stand in a picnic area with trees and the pipes and beams of Gas Works in the background.

Rinck Retools Housing Affordability Bonus with More Density

Alexis Mercedes Rinck's new "Roots to Roofs" bill would provide zoning bonuses for community-based organizations to build housing and other cultural spaces, building on the rejected Connected Communities pilot. It already has the support of Land Use Chair Mark Solomon.