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Politics and Government

A cottage in a leafy backyard in the fall.

Missing Middle Bill Dies in House, but Statewide Backyard Cottage Reform Remains in Play

Oregon passed statewide missing middle housing reform in 2019, as did California in 2021. Hopes were high that Washington State would follow suit in...

Bellevue Council Update: Some Lessons in Council Procedure

At Monday's Bellevue City Council meeting, Councilmembers voted to approve over $1.7 million in funding for crosswalk improvements, approved further work on a city-sponsored...

Harrell Pledges SPD Staffing Surge in State of City Speech

The Mayor asked for budget cuts from other city departments to close an anticipated $150 million funding gap next year. Mayor Bruce Harrell delivered his...
A photo of townhouses with lush shrubs and trees.

Introducing The Urbanist’s Podcast

In this preview of The Urbanist's forthcoming podcast, Natalie Argerious discusses the missing middle housing bill, HB 1782, which just might make it across...

A Dozen Bills to Watch as Legislative Deadlines Loom

The Washington State Legislature crams its session into sixty days in even years, allowing lawmakers to dedicate more of the year to their campaigns,...

Bellevue Council Update: Health Through Housing, Litter Over Emissions, Meeting Urban Growth

Among several other items, Monday's Bellevue City Council meeting saw an update from King County Council Chair Claudia Balducci on regional issues, a quarterly...

Harrell is Lukewarm on Missing Middle Housing Bill as Inslee Continues Push

Dozens of progressive councilmembers and mayors backed HB 1782, including Councilmembers Mosqueda, Lewis, Morales, and Strauss. Battle lines are quickly forming on the statewide missing...
A flyer reading Propositions 1 and 2 building on success with a photo of kids wearing masks in a classroom.

Vote Yes on 2022 Seattle and Tacoma Public School Levies

Ballots for the 2022 Seattle Public Schools (SPS) Capital Levy are due tomorrow, Tuesday, February 8th. To be accepted, they must postmarked or deposited...