June 4th Seattle Candidate Forum to Focus on Transportation and Housing
The Urbanist will be co-hosting a Seattle candidate forum on June 4th in Beacon Hill along with allied housing and transportation organizations. It will be a fantastic chance to hear from candidates for Seattle Mayor and City Council. RSVP today!
Seattle Just Rezoned Entire City — That Was the Easy Part
To meet a state deadline, the Seattle City Council legalized fourplexes or sixplexes across the entire city via the adoption of an interim code Tuesday. The move is just a prelude to a bigger fight over urban density, as Council advances Mayor Bruce Harrell's broader growth plan.
High Point Safety Town Hall Is a Low Point for Saka
Last week, Seattle Councilmember Rob Saka hosted a packed town hall to address gun violence in High Point and other parts of his District 1. The event ended in frustrated shouting, as residents said Saka hadn’t delivered on what he’d promised.
Op-Ed: Lowering Ethical Standards to Allow Elected Officials’ Self-Dealing is a Terrible Idea
A proposal set to drop this week at the Seattle City Council would loosen ethics standards for councilmembers with potential conflicts-of-interest. Mayoral candidate Katie Wilson breaks down why that's a terrible idea.
Seattle Commission Warns Of Adding ‘Poison Pills’ to Middle Housing Changes
With the Seattle City Council set to consider amendments to required zoning changes this week, the city's planning commission highlighted the danger of adding on additional requirements including affordable housing mandates and changing thresholds for infrastructure upgrades.
Seattle Sets the Stage for Automatic Traffic Camera Expansion
New types of traffic cameras allowed by the state legislature have the potential to lead to big safety gains in Seattle -- but a potential clash over how those cameras are deployed could be on the horizon. SDOT and transportation chair Rob Saka are not seeing eye to eye.
Seattle Council Pushes Most Zoning Changes Into 2026, Citing Appeal Delays
Phase two of the One Seattle Plan had included additional housing density around 30 existing commercial centers like Tangletown and Madrona, but now those changes won't be discussed until after this fall's elections, pushing key housing actions into 2026.
Union Leader Jamie Fackler Enters D2 Seattle Council Race
Seattle City Council's District 2 race just got a little more crowded, as Protec17 union steward Jamie Fackler announced his candidacy today. Fackler brings the strongest union ties to the race, and he also is the most unabashed proponent of social housing.