Decriminalize Seattle and King County Equity Now are making a big ask. Their plan to reduce the Seattle Police Department budget is bound to be an uphill battle, even when a pandemic doesn’t bar in-person meetings. But...
In December 2015, a team of private security guards from Central Protection began making six-hour patrols around the Magnolia residential area. In February 2016, Joe Villarino, director of the neighborhood association that hired them, posted their first results online....
We may be trapped in our houses still due a failing federal government, but that doesn't mean we can't connect with our fellow urbanists to learn, to organize, and to advocate for a more just and livable...
This morning, as police swept the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) of tents, barricades, protesters, and journalists, it become clear Mayor Jenny Durkan was on the offensive. The previous day Mayor Durkan called on the Seattle City...
The Seattle Police Department (SPD) repeatedly tear-gassed and pepper-sprayed crowds during the first two weeks of protests, but the Seattle City Council sought to close the door on this tactic yesterday. Councilmember Kshama Sawant's bill banning tear gas,...
Like a phoenix rising from an ashy war zone, Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone ("CHAZ") emerged after the Seattle Police Department (SPD) abandoned the East Precinct. To many Capitol Hill residents, it's a big improvement over the nightly...
For days now, the constant presence of police, armored SWAT vans, “unarmed” but baton-wielding National Guard members, and circling surveillance aircraft have felt like an occupying force in Seattle. But on Monday and Tuesday nights, as tear...
Yesterday morning, I attended a Seattle Design Commission meeting on the parking design of the North Precinct building. By the evening, Mayor Ed Murray announced he would shelve the project at least until the next budget cycle and the...
