Let’s Talk Inclusionary Zoning: An Interview With Nico Calavita

Below is an interview transcript with Nico Calavita. This transcript is part of a series of interviews that are meant to shed light on...
A photo showing an aerial view of Seattle looking north from the Space needle, housing, roads, and Greenlake are all visible.

The Benefits of Auctioning Off Development Rights

In an era of tight city budgets, legal limits on taxing authority, and expensive problems, it is time for Seattle to get creative. We...
Two apartment buildings seen on a beautiful day, with one having a label of "Verve", in Redmond's Overlake neighborhood.

Washington Legislature Sets it Sights on Transit-Oriented Development…Again

House Bill 1491 would require cities to increase development capacity around train stations and bus rapid transit stops. But a contentious affordability requirement for that new development could be a sticking point.

Mayor Durkan Signs into Law Mandatory Housing Affordability Rezoning 27 Urban Villages

The bills' signage marks the end of a long fight by housing advocates to get affordability requirements enshrined in Seattle law. Before a crowd of...

Sunday Video: Vienna’s Radical Idea? Affordable Housing For All

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41VJudBdYXY Bloomberg Quicktake/CityLab explores how Vienna is tackling affordable housing for all in the city. Mike Eliason, syndicated columnist of The Urbanist, offers his perspective...

Don’t Renegotiate The Grand Bargain, Pass M2 Upzones To Unlock 11% Requirement

When I criticized Sightline's framing of Seattle's Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) program, a few people suggested I was providing "fodder to NIMBYs." I'm not...

How We Got Here: A (Brief) History of Mandatory Housing Affordability in Seattle

Today Seattle City Council is voting on "citywide" implementation of Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA), a form of inclusionary zoning from which single family zones...

Redmond’s Aggressive Code Update Imperils 2,500 Homes Planned Near Overlake Station

Redmond has a grand vision for the Overlake neighborhood, which is set to get light rail by 2025. Redmond land use policies have funneled...