A picture of a person on a scooter and e-bike riding past a car with the caption 'tired of waiting in traffic? Lime will get you there.'

Urbanist Theory

A box of carrots and other produce with rows of plantings in the background.

Urbanism 101: How Urban Agriculture Can Boost Food Security

Producing food locally boosts food security and self-sufficiency, especially in urban areas. Beacon Food Forest and Tilth Alliance are advancing urban agriculture in Seattle, joining an international trend.

Sunday Video: Should Cities Be Circular?

Dave Amos of City Beautiful talks about some examples of circular cities and the history of circle cities. Whether circle cities are deeply practical...

Urbanism 101: Tactical Urbanism

Street improvements are often long and drawn-out affairs. Pop-up projects can show otherwise. Urban projects can take a significant amount of time and financing to...

In Defense of Little or No Plans

American architect and urban designer Daniel Burnham’s famous "make no small plans" imperative is destroying your city and your life. You should get a bingo...

Let the Robots Write the Ordinance

Planners have a lot to wrestle with as ChatGPT comes to code drafting. “In the era of rapid urbanization and evolving urban landscapes, the development...

Ray’s Exit Interview: Don’t Let the Bastards Grind You Down

This is a quote from a book and a song, so I can use it as a title. Even with a questionable intensifier. Today is...

Terra Nil Shows How To Unbuild a City

In time for Earth Day, a beautiful new game that lets players unwind while unwinding civilization. Terra Nil shows up on the App Store as...

How a Forgotten Plaza Can Become Tacoma’s Connected Heart

Tollefson Plaza in downtown Tacoma confounds me. It’s an attractive space next to a bustling university campus and an art museum. It is adjacent...