Land Use

URBANIST G.O.R.E. 2022!

New Year! New Horrors! Pay for the whole year, but you’ll only need the edge! In the spirit of Krampus, the Christmas demon who takes...

Visualizing Compatible Density

Density is a controversial subject in virtually all American communities. While some districts and communities are seeking more density to promote economic revitalization and...

Unserious in Seattle 

The City's Comp Plan is seriously flawed from the start. Seattle knows how to get serious when we need to, whether that’s building trillion dollar...

Snohomish County’s Newest Backyard Cottage Law Could Accelerate Exurban Sprawl

The Snohomish County Council moved to expand allowances for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) such as backyard cottages in rural areas this week. However, the...

Baltimore’s Harborplace: Elegy to a Dead Mall

Lessons from a one-time crown jewel of urban renewal. Recently I got to be a tourist in my hometown. The hard part about going back...

Moving the Ballard Bridge Will Remake Northwest Seattle for the Better

Prepare for light rail, slow down Interbay, and save 15th Avenue Imagine for a moment taking a pleasant walk from Ballard to Queen Anne. Coming...
A canopy shelters the Bellevue Transit Center with downtown office towers in the background.

Bellevue Unveils Bold Growth Strategy for 152,000 Additional Homes

Through a mix of highrise, midrise, and missing middle housing, Bellevue's new comprehensive plan would provide capacity for an extra 152,000 homes and 185,000 jobs, potentially allowing the city's population to more than double over the next 20 years.

How to Crush a Housing Project The Seattle Way

One saga demonstrates the difficulties developers face in getting infill projects permitted, even after reforms meant to encourage them. The City of Seattle permitting process...