In an effort to continue providing great content, programming, advocacy, and analysis, we’re running a fundraising drive this week at The Urbanist. We think what we do is pretty valuable, but you don’t have to take our word for it. Below is a testimonial from Seattle Subway.

The Urbanist is a great resource for Seattle readers and advocates. They put in the hours to go to planning meetings, read inscrutable public documents, and synthesize what they find along with valuable insights. They bring a lens of curiosity and interest rather than absolutism to the hard questions that face our growing city. They help us stay informed on the issues both big and overlooked that arise around land use and transit in our city.

The Urbanist takes the time to deep dive into issues and ideas that shape the public sphere such as lidding I-5, HALA, and local political races. We know of no primary coverage in Seattle that is as in-depth as what the Urbanist provides–with candidate profiles and tough policy questions that really separate insightful politicians from mediocre ones.

They are at the forefront of tracking what is going on with the Convention Center Addition and are posing very valuable questions: What is the public gain? Is shutting down the bus tunnel worth speeding up a new Convention Center? Questions that have been barely covered, if at all, by traditional media outlets.

They recently brought to light fresh ideas that impacted our work at Seattle Subway. We sat down and reconsidered the frame of some old ideas and realized they were on to something big. The work they do to enable these kinds of insights can help shape our future city into a better place. That is the true power of a community-driven resource like The Urbanist.

We are lucky in Seattle to have such a dedicated group of volunteers as those that staff The Urbanist. A more informed public is a better public. The Urbanist does the hard work that helps us be a better public. Join us in making a monthly donation to The Urbanist to help them keep doing the great work they do.

This week we’re doing a fundraising drive at The Urbanist. Becoming a monthly donor supports local, independent journalism that aligns reporting and editorials with urbanist values. To give readers a sense of these values, The Urbanist crafted principles for guiding city policy.

Values Of Urbanism

Successful urbanism values accessibility, equity, civic engagement, health, safety, and prosperity. We believe the following principles should guide decisions in order to achieve our values of successful urbanism:

• Transportation Principles. Cities must allocate public resources meeting the following transportation hierarchy: pedestrians, bicycles, public transit, multiple-occupancy vehicles, and single-occupancy vehicles.
• Housing Principles. Cities must provide access to stable, healthy, and safe housing. Housing must exist for everyone in the neighborhood of their choice. This requires reducing housing costs, diversifying housing typologies, and increasing public subsidies.
• Land Use Principles. Cities must continuously allow growth everywhere within their boundaries. Mixed-use neighborhoods–allowing residential, commercial, and light industrial uses–are critical. Uncompetitive essential uses must receive protection.
  
• Civic Principles. Cities must make explicit efforts to protect and affirm all neighbors regardless of race, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, immigrant status, ability, religion, veteran status, or income.
• Public Space Principles. Cities must acquire and provide adequate access to a variety of vibrant public spaces in all areas of the city.
• Public Services Principles. Cities must capture their wealth to control and provide universal access to essential services, especially in non-competitive markets or areas where the private markets don’t serve all people. Cities should maintain public assets in public control and avoid privatization.
• Development Design Principles. Cities must regulate design to minimize negative externalities, ensure consistent and predictable process, and accommodate cultural needs in appropriate neighborhoods.
• Environmental Principles. Cities must be leaders, passing regulations that equitably mitigate environmental threats and achieve long-term sustainability.

You can read the full extended page of our policy principles here. We’ll review these periodically and we’d love to hear your feedback.

Donating to The Urbanist supports a local, independent publication with opinions guided by the news team and the principles of urbanism outlined here.

In an effort to continue providing great content, programming, advocacy and analysis, we’re running a fundraising drive this week at The Urbanist. We think what we do is pretty valuable, but you don’t have to take our word for it. Below is a testimonial from Seattle City Councilmember Mike O’Brien that may give you that final nudge to #FundTheUrbanist.

The Urbanist is a great resource for people who care about cities and the people who live and work in cities. In a world where the media is under attack, we are lucky to have independent news sources such as The Urbanist to help all of us navigate all the complexities of people living in cities as our systems continue to evolve. The Urbanist’s insightful analysis on issues ranging from transportation to affordable housing are a great resource and help advance the public dialog around important issues involving our city.