Plans and Policy

Old Ballard Avenue street view with street cafe seating.

Council Pushes Transit Ambassadors, Cafe Streets in 2024 Budget, But Not Streetcar Connector

The Seattle City Council is set to consider a slew of transportation-related amendments to Mayor Bruce Harrell's proposed budget for 2024, in an annual...

Seattle Must Pursue ‘Rapid Progress’ Option and Transform Its Streets

Comment by October 31 to urge the City to improve the Seattle Transportation Plan. Seattle is mapping out the next two decades of transportation investments...

Break Down the Seattle City Budget with The Urbanist on October 30

The leaves are turning, Halloween is approaching... that can only mean one thing in Seattle city government: Budget season is here -- a time...

Seattle Transportation Plan Project List Suggests Roadmap for Levy Renewal

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has released a draft project list intended to go along with its mammoth Seattle Transportation Plan, still in...

Seattle Transportation Plan Needs More Focus on Outcomes, Planning Commission Says

Seattle's Planning Commission is pressing for the citywide transportation plan currently being developed by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) to contain more details...
North Bend aerial photo that also shows Mt. Si.

Regional Officials Hit the Brakes on More Suburban Sprawl Near I-90

A meeting of an obscure regional planning body got tense last week as elected officials sparred over the issue of expanding King County's urban growth...
Yellow front of a streetcar passing in front of brick buildings.

Harrell’s Transportation Budget Focuses on Downtown But Leaves Out the Streetcar

Transportation was essentially a footnote this week as Mayor Bruce Harrell announced his proposed changes to Seattle's 2024 city budget, with housing, police tech,...
Seattle Pacific Medical Center is a brick art deco building atop Beacon Hill dating backed to 1932.

285 Reasons Seattle’s Zoning is an [Unfunny] Joke

Strangely, it is very difficult to answer the question: "How many zones does Seattle have?" That alone suggests an uncomfortable answer. The Seattle Municipal Code...