Land Use

Will Washington Become One of the First States to Require Climate Action through Urban...

Seattle may be famous for its cool rainy weather, but it is a little known fact that the city also holds the dubious distinction...
Elevated light rail with pylons next to a street in Northgate.

Metro Delays Park-and-Ride Redevelopment Plans, Save for 232 Affordable Homes

In the midst of a regional housing crunch and global climate emergency, a park-and-ride next to a soon-to-open light rail station is successfully clinging...
SLI's 47+7 building in the U District. (Photo by Shaun Kuo)

The Potential and Pitfalls of Prefabricated Buildings

The City issued permits on January 17th for another new tower in Belltown, but this one was a little different. The developer, Sustainable Living...

Wonkabout Washington: Futurewise 2020 Legal Preview

Last month we gave readers of The Urbanist a preview of Futurewise’s 2020 legislative agenda. This month we’re going to do an overview of...

City’s Plan for Pre-approved Backyard Cottages Shouldn’t Require Uncompensated Labor

It has been nearly two years since Mayor Jenny Durkan directed the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections to fast-track pre-approved designs of backyard...

Mid-Session Check-In on Equitable and Sustainable Legislation

With a short legislative session, Democrats and Republicans have been moving swiftly to get bills through the legislative process. Several major bills affecting environmental...

City and Seattle Housing Authority Announce Future 8.5-Acre Equitable Development Site in Northgate

In the mid-20th century, Northgate Mall was considered to be one of the most ambitious commercial developments in North America, if not the world....

The Streetcar Symphony

Nothing stops the chorus of a city’s urban dance than a parking garage or surface lot. In the booming age of Seattle’s downtown core,...