Plans and Policy

Shoreline-Seattle Boundary

Dubicki: Do Not Make Seattle Its Own County

Seattle’s boundaries are ridiculous. In the north, the city is separated from its neighbors by the width of a street. In the south, the...

McGauley: The Case for Seattle County

Growing up in the Old Northwest, I was used to townships and counties being small, arbitrary but generally orderly boxes that operate as the...
A battery-powered bus during a press event.

Metro’s Battery Bus Plan Hinges on Need to Grow Service and Revenue

In September, King County Metro filed a report on their battery bus implementation plan. Like the Kenmore water taxi report, this paper is the...
Some Douglas firs and Mount Tahoma frame National Park Inn wooden lodge in Longmire.

Five Concepts That Will Change Planning and Growth Management in Washington

Comprehensive updates pushing the 30-year-old Growth Management Act to be adaptive, inclusive, equitable, and actionable. When the Washington legislative session begins in less than a...

Everett Reforms Citywide Zoning, Embarks on Affordable Housing Plan

In early November, the Everett City Council adopted sweeping zoning and development regulation changes to simplify the land use code and encourage more urban...

Snohomish County Light Rail Planning Turns Toward Housing

Approaching the halfway mark of their Fall 2020 Light Rail Communities workshop, Snohomish County has opened up part two of the workshop to address...

Cascadia Needs New Zoning, Not New Cities

Abolishing apartment bans is how we grow as a region, not sprouting entire new cities in pasture. The Cascadia Vision 2050 report made it onto...
A drawing of a city with people in transit, biking, walking, rolling a wheelchair, and sitting in a park with mountains in background.

Call to Action: Send a Washington Can’t Wait Letter

The Urbanist has joined Futurewise in its Washington Can't Wait campaign seeking to reform the Growth Management Act (GMA) to incorporate sustainability, equity, and...