A contentious change giving SDOT more authority to change streets within Seattle's historic districts was approved Thursday on a 3-2 committee vote. Traffic safety advocates had been pushing for a way to elevate safety-related changes outside the normal approval process.
As Seattle seeks to reduce waste and spur a local circular economy, a big opportunity for impact is found when buildings come down.
The four new camera locations, set to be implemented in 2027, will be Seattle's first 24/7 speed cameras after decades of enforcing speeds in school zones. The locations were chosen based on a prevalence of speeding and serious crashes.
After many housing advocates feared the idea of a temporary break on Mandatory Housing Affordability fees was dead, Foster's proposal could be approved by early next year. It includes an 80% discount for vested projects, and a 60% break for new projects that include more family-sized units.
A RV safe lot between South Park and West Seattle is expected to serve 140 currently people currently living on the street once it opens in November. Councilmember Bob Kettle and other officials spoke to the importance of the project at a recent ceremony.
While Bellevue leaders are clearly not ready to fully ditch parking mandates, as many Washington cities have done, there is a push to consider going further than a new state-mandated baseline. But ahead of an October 20 vote, that is far from a sure thing.
Get your ticket to our September 15th Town Hall Seattle talk featuring CityNerd's Ray Delahanty and The Urbanist’s Ryan Packer. We're also hosting a Pinehurst station area tour on September 30, the grand opening of the light rail stop.
Seattle Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck and King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci are joining the program on September 15. Tickets are going fast, and we still need some volunteers to help facilitate the event.
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.
While Bellevue leaders are clearly not ready to fully ditch parking mandates, as many Washington cities have done, there is a push to consider going further than a new state-mandated baseline. But ahead of an October 20 vote, that is far from a sure thing.
New requirements taking effect in January will add a new $15 per-square-foot fee to housing units over 2,000 square feet. A move to raise that threshold to 2,500, intended to encourage more development, failed 3-4 last week in a vote that could signal deeper divisions on Kirkland's Council.
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.
A 2.75-mile repaving project will only see around 0.8 miles of new bike facilities, despite a new requirement to repair gaps along the state highway network along with maintenance work. The project illustrates the limitations of that 2022 law.
Two 2026 charter amendments are at the heart of a Republican megadonor's plan to take over Snohomish County. If they pass, it would have rippling impacts on transit expansion, housing growth, and safe streets investments, making it easier for Republicans to block progress.
The draft environmental analysis for the Everett light rail extension will be released September 18, Sound Transit said, thanks to a federal greenlight.
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.
