More recent posts »
The Seattle Planning Commission has given the proposed One Seattle Comprehensive Plan a once-over. The reviews are not good.
Recent Posts
Harrell Rolls Out Incentive Proposal for Converting Offices to Housing
Seattle is considering legislation to support conversion of existing commercial buildings to residential. Mayor Harrell is seeking to incentivize and facilitate reuse of vacant commercial properties and fulfill a plank of his Downtown Activation Plan.
SPD Kettled Protesters in 2020, Escalated Violence, and Promoted the Commander
New footage shows how police kettled protesters, trapping them in a corridor of violence in the early days of 2020 protests. Despite the historic magnitude of financial costs to the city across multiple legal settlements, in the three-plus years since the summer of 2020, the department internally has rarely found any of its conduct to be worthy of punishment beyond a handful of oral and written reprimands.
Metro Breaks Ground on New Electric Bus Base in Tukwila
King County Metro started construction on a new million zero-emissions bus base in Tukwila this month. It will house 120 battery-electric buses currently on order and arriving in a few short years. Metro is betting heavily on battery buses getting more dependable.
Join The Urbanist for Monthly Meetup on March 21
We meet at Stoup Capitol Hill starting at 5:30pm on the third Thursday of the month. We'll discuss the Seattle Comprehensive Plan this month.
Port Townsend Just Quietly Ditched Its Off-Street Parking Mandates
Small but mighty Port Townsend appears to be the first city in Washington State to have fully ditched its off-street parking requirements.
Op-Ed: Harrell’s Anemic Growth Plan Is Not ‘Space Needle Thinking’
The mayor's comprehensive plan proposal failed to deliver real solutions on housing abundance, affordability, and climate. It promises only modest zoning changes at the margins and 100,000 additional homes over 20 years.
Land Use Chair Tammy Morales Takes Aim at Proposed Seattle Growth...
In the first chance to discuss the Harrell administration's planned growth strategy, Morales was leagues ahead of her colleagues in articulating changes she wanted to see made, such as higher growth targets and more multifamily zoning, before earning her vote of approval.
Join The Urbanist for Monthly Meetup on March 21
We meet at Stoup Capitol Hill starting at 5:30pm on the third Thursday of the month. We'll discuss the Seattle Comprehensive Plan this month.
Join Seattle YIMBY for Forbidden Homes Walking Tour of Ballard
Join host Markus Johnson for a Ballard walking tour on Saturday, March 16. Attendees will discover surviving examples of mid-sized home options such as duplexes, triplexes and small apartment complexes, while learning what prompted their all but disappearance from residential neighborhoods and discuss opportunities to bring them back.
The Urbanist Meetups Are Back on Third Thursdays, Starting February 15
The Urbanist's meetups will be held on the third Thursday of every month at Stoup Capitol Hill (formerly Optimism Brewing), a spacious all-ages brewery, starting on February 15.
More events posts »
Support Our Work
The Urbanist is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit. We depend on donations from readers like you to sustain our work. Subscribe as a monthly donor or make a one-time donation to help us grow.
Bellevue Official Cleared in Bike Bellevue Ethics Complaint
Franz Loewenherz, a longtime employee of Bellevue's transportation department, has been cleared of wrongdoing after an ethics investigation into his work on Bike Bellevue. The complaint was made by a project opponent, who did succeed in causing a minor delay.
Sunday Video: Kirkland’s History of Exclusion and Opportunities to Change That
Historian Lorraine McConaghy rehashes the arc of Kirkland's history from blue collar boomtown with an industrial waterfront to bust town to its high tech resurgence, all while using a lens of racial equity and housing exclusion.
Abbreviated East Link Grand Opening Set for April 27th
A 10am ribbon-cutting ceremony at Downtown Bellevue Station will inaugurate Eastside light rail service on April 27. 2 Line trains will run between Bellevue and Redmond in advance of full service into Seattle expected in 2025.
More Eastside Coverage posts »
Growth Plan Falls Short of Seattle’s Needs, Planning Commission Says
The Seattle Planning Commission has given the proposed One Seattle Comprehensive Plan a once-over. The reviews are not good.
Op-Ed: Harrell’s Anemic Growth Plan Is Not ‘Space Needle Thinking’
The mayor's comprehensive plan proposal failed to deliver real solutions on housing abundance, affordability, and climate. It promises only modest zoning changes at the margins and 100,000 additional homes over 20 years.
Land Use Chair Tammy Morales Takes Aim at Proposed Seattle Growth...
In the first chance to discuss the Harrell administration's planned growth strategy, Morales was leagues ahead of her colleagues in articulating changes she wanted to see made, such as higher growth targets and more multifamily zoning, before earning her vote of approval.
More One Seattle Plan posts »
The Urbanist Podcast: Vote Up to the End
It's time to vote for Seattle City Council, a housing levy, and elected positions all over King County. The Urbanist has published its general...
Guest Podcast: Recycling America’s Railroads into Trails
The Urbanist Podcast is on summer break so we thought we'd share with you a guest podcast on a topic near and dear to...
The Urbanist Podcast: All About 2023 Primary Endorsements
Primary election ballots are arriving in the mail and due by August 1st. In the run up The Urbanist Elections Committee has been hard...
More podcast episodes »