Urbanist Podcast: Social Housing and Wilson’s Four Pillars of Affordability
In this podcast episode, The Urbanist's newsroom dive into recent headlines including Katie Wilson's State of the City speech, which bills are moving and which are dying at the Washington State Legislation, and the Seattle Social Housing Developer's latest moves.
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Wilson Sketches Affordability Agenda in State of City Speech
On Tuesday, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson pledged to attack affordability on four different fronts: housing, childcare, food, and small business opportunities. It was her first State of the City speech since taking office seven weeks ago.
2026 Levy Plan Sets Stage for a New Mayor’s Transportation Priorities
The full list of 430 levy-funded projects across Seattle was mostly assembled before Mayor Katie Wilson took office. But it contains significant opportunities for the new administration to shape transportation investments over the years ahead.
Educator Julie Kang Enters Fray in D5 Seattle Council Race
Julie Kang is running for the open seat in Seattle City Council’s District 5 this year, and is the first candidate in the race to qualify for democracy vouchers. An educator and bank founder, Kang espoused a mix of centrist and progressive views in her interview with The Urbanist.
Wilson Promotes Sam Steele to Lead Seattle Permitting Department
Mayor Katie Wilson is promoting inspections director Sam Steele to interim director of the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, she announced Tuesday. Steele has pledged to streamline processes to make it easier to build housing and emergency shelter.
Seattle Streetcar Faces Uncertain Future as Newest Line Turns Ten
As the First Hill Streetcar celebrates a decade carrying riders, questions mount about the future of the Seattle Streetcar network as a whole. With a plan to finally connect the two existing lines being declared dead, the status quo is likely not sustainable.
Katie Wilson Looks to Beef Up Seattle’s Housing Growth Plans
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson and Rico Quirindongo, the city's planning director, seem to be on the same page about revamping the city's growth plans to allow for additional housing density. The City appears set to largely stay the course on scheduled rezone work in 2026, but queue up additional growth centers and broader transit corridor upzones to enact in 2027.