In the first six months of 2026, Bellevue saw at least 1,585 new multifamily units enter the pipeline, compared to just 1,137 housing units in Seattle. The numbers illustrate Bellevue's success in spurring development... and Seattle's continued slump.
Democrats could grow their 59-seat majority in the state House to 64 if their leads in races hold this fall. Primary results indicate Democrats will likely flip seats in the 17th, 18th, and 26th Legislative Districts, while holding their current seats.
Ballard Link faces a multi-billion-dollar budget shortfall, but one revenue tool could help get the project back on track: a value capture strategy using tax-increment financing. Here's how that would work.
RVs have been a safety valve for people experiencing homelessness, but Councilmember Dan Strauss is proposing to add a RV safe lot and phase out street parking for them across Seattle.
The August 1st train derailment was a one-off incident, not likely to be repeated, Sound Transit said, noting "additional testing and inspections across the entire system" to check track switches for issues. Boardmember Claudia Balducci is pushing for tighter protocols during unplanned outages.
An ordinance from Rod Dembowski would have thrown a wrench into King County Metro's next service change, set for August 29, by restoring Route 372 without any funding to do so. Ultimately, the move seemed to be symbolic to show support for impacted riders.
Get your ticket to our September 15th Town Hall Seattle talk featuring CityNerd's Ray Delahanty and The Urbanist’s Ryan Packer. Attendees will get a sneak peek at a CityNerd video before a deep dive into light rail plans.
Canvass on July 26th, volunteer for good local candidates, and support our election committee’s work at our Endorsement Party on Thursday.
Join The Urbanist for our July events, including a soccer social with Sounder at Heart on July 19 and our Endorsements Rollout Party on July 23.
Support The Urbanist, connect with endorsed candidates, and celebrate the hard work of the Endorsements Committee as we approach the primary.
In the first six months of 2026, Bellevue saw at least 1,585 new multifamily units enter the pipeline, compared to just 1,137 housing units in Seattle. The numbers illustrate Bellevue's success in spurring development... and Seattle's continued slump.
As a city of 70,000 residents, Sammamish has a dearth of commercial space, and its long-planned Town Center remains half-finished. This fall, the council will decide whether to fully pivot away from that plan and distribute housing capacity to other areas.
Just months after touting the idea of building 40 affordable units in downtown North Bend, City officials quietly pulled the plug. While a lack of financing is being blamed for the project's collapse, opposition to density and parking worries clearly played a major role as well.
An ordinance from Rod Dembowski would have thrown a wrench into King County Metro's next service change, set for August 29, by restoring Route 372 without any funding to do so. Ultimately, the move seemed to be symbolic to show support for impacted riders.
On top of concerns about lack of city resources, officials in Lynnwood have cited a relatively low number of road fatalities compared to other cities and an inability to make a difference in impaired and distracted driving as reasons to shy away from a Vision Zero action plan.
King County Metro's new bus network in North Seattle and the North Shore communities is intended to improve access to light rail and bring increased frequencies throughout the day. But a plan to retire Route 372 between Lake Forest Park and UW has raised concerns among city officials.
The university’s planned campus design overhaul includes more community-focused green space, space for 5,000 more students, and a residence hall at the heart of campus in downtown Tacoma.
Many years in the making, Pierce County’s coordinated approach to homelessness still faces challenges after being approved by county council in June. With King County partially dismantling its troubled regional authority, Pierce County hopes to avoid the same mistakes.
The 0.3% sales tax bump going onto the November ballot would increase service by around 40% by the mid-2030s, the biggest expansion of transit service in Pierce County in decades. Since May, the proposal has been tweaked to include free rides for seniors.
KUOW's Soundside recently did a special on Sound Transit system expansion deliberations that heavily featured Urbanist contributing editor Ryan Packer. It's a great primer on the debate about how to best close the agency's $34.5 billion budget gap. Give it a listen!
The Urbanist newsroom discusses April headlines, like Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson expanding Bicycle Weekends, 300 transit advocates marching to save Ballard light rail from the chopping block, and pushback against a Capitol Hill crisis case center.
The Urbanist newsroom discusses the big opening day for Sound Transit's crosslake 2 Line, how we got here, and what it means for the future of light rail expansion in the Seattle region.
