Bellevue Council Approves Scaled-Back Middle Housing Code
A narrow four-member majority caved to housing opponents as the Bellevue City Council finalized zoning changes impacting the city's lower density residential areas. Scaling back an ambitious proposal that increased flexibility for builders, Bellevue is only set to exceed the state minimum in a few areas.
Bateman Takes Aim at Washington’s Parking Mandates
A new bill introduced at the state legislature by longtime housing advocate Jessica Bateman would represent a sea change, limiting the ability of cities and counties to mandate high amounts of parking.
Statement Concerning Jenny Durkan’s Campaign for Seattle Mayor
The Urbanist has a core commitment to education, fairness, and transparency in our endorsement process. To those ends, we recently shared with our readers...
Seattle Police Crack Down on Black Lives Matter Protests and Continue to Resist Reform
Cities across America are on edge right now. Many have seen clashes between police and protesters, resulting in injuries, arrests, and destruction. It was...
Seattle Pursues Looser Police Hiring Standards After High-Profile Screening Failure
The Seattle Police Department hired a cop with a record of reckless driving who went on to kill Jaahnavi Kandula while driving recklessly. However, instead of tightening hiring protocols, Seattle officials are looking to loosen them further.
2016 Endorsement Interviews: Dan Shih
Earlier this month, staff from The Urbanist met with candidates seeking election in the open seats of the 43rd Legislative District and 7th Congressional District...
Sammamish Hits Pause on Town Center Planning after Backlash Election
Following an intense debate over the future of Sammamish's fledgling Town Center area in this month's elections, three growth skeptics are set to join the city council. Now the question is just how dramatically things get scaled back in 2026.
Sunday Video: Replacing I-5 Lanes with Cascadia High Speed Rail
Lucid Stew's "Taking Back The Streets Cascadia Edition" analyzes the idea of repurposing I-5 lanes to create a high speed rail line between Eugene and Vancouver, BC, connecting Portland, Tacoma, Seattle, and a handful of other cities along the way. A two-hour trip from Seattle to Portland or Vancouver, BC would be possible.