Mayor Murray critiques Council’s microhousing legislation, threatens veto

Mayor Ed Murray sent a strong letter addressed to the Seattle City Council yesterday. In it, he dropped a big critique on Council's approach to...

Inside Look at Seattle’s New Convention Center Expansion

"Summit of Our Noble Efforts" - Jay Inslee The Washington State Convention Center's new Summit Building opened to the public on Friday, January 27. As...
Shaun Scott is a Black man with a hi-top fade and wears an N95 mask while standing in front of a Link light rail train on a station platform.

Shaun Scott Aims to Succeed Retiring Rep Chopp as Progressive Champion in Olympia

Shaun Scott sat down with The Urbanist to make his case for the 43rd Legislative District seat and lay out his top priorities in office, which included funding affordable housing, grappling with Long Covid, and advancing civilian emergency response alternatives.

Seattle Needs A Housing Politics Movement Like Germany’s Wohnungspolitik

Actually, Seattle needed a cohesive and comprehensive Wohnungspolitik 40 years ago, but late is better than never. What is a Wohnungspolitik? The literal translation from German is...

Mayor Durkan Launches Offensive Against Sawant and CHOP After Protest Outside Her Home

This morning, as police swept the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) of tents, barricades, protesters, and journalists, it become clear Mayor Jenny Durkan was...
The Tōkaidō Shinkansen high-speed line in Japan, with Mount Fuji in the background. The Tokaido Shinkansen was the world's first high-speed rail line. (Wikipedia / tansaisuketti)

Transportation Appropriations Bill Kickstarts Cascadia High-Speed Rail Authority

On Sunday, the Washington State Legislature concluded the 2019 legislative session. Many progressive environmental, transportation, land use, and housing bills managed to win approval...
Rahr wears her dark blue police uniform with stars and shields on her shoulders.

Seattle Police Department Is “Increasingly Unstable,” Email from Top Official Claims

Seattle Police Department Chief Operating Officer Brian Maxey criticized his former Police Chief Sue Rahr in an email to the Seattle Ethics & Elections Commission, claiming she was directing City contracts to a company she co-founded. Maxey also complained of being cut out of decisions and of worsening morale and a schism among command staff in the email, which was obtained through a public records request.

House Gives First Nod to Swift II Expansion

On Monday, the House Transportation Committee voted to expand Community Transit’s revenue authority to help restore deep service cuts and fund an expansion of the...