A graphic with the Lime scootershare and bikeshare logo and a pair of riders says

Recent Posts

A barren trenched has an access road on the city but empty field down the middle with bridges spanning the trench to connect the street grid.

Book Review: How a Highway Map Wrecked Baltimore

Road to Nowhere author Emily Lieb is speaking at Elliott Bay Books on November 20. Here's a sneak peek at her book, which covers the plight of the Rosemont neighborhood of West Baltimore, as it was victimized by grand highway schemes.

The ‘Structural Change’ About to Make New Housing More Expensive in Seattle

As Seattle enters an era where fewer builders are lining up to build office towers and residential skyscrapers, the city's permit department is scrambling to catch up. Despite last-minute concerns raised Monday around a 18% permit fee increase, that change is poised to take effect next year.
An area image of a leafy lakefront Clyde Hill neighborhood

Housing Emergency? Clyde Hill Shuts the Door to Most Middle Housing

Already under scrutiny for potential violations of state housing law, the city of Clyde Hill's new restrictions make its middle housing code one of the most restrictive in the state.
A Sound Transit light rail car passes through a station in the Rainier Valley

Escalating Costs Could Push Sound Transit to Reconsider Two Infill Stations

Long promised and approved by voters in 2016, the cost to build two deferred light rail stations in Seattle and Tukwila has jumped by more than two-thirds in just a few short years. The two projects are likely to be put under a microscope along with the big-ticket ST3 rail extensions.

Op-Ed: Making Seattle Neighborhoods More Accessible by Design

Four case studies show how Seattle's new middle housing zoning incentives align with demographic shifts to meet housing demand.
A crossword puzzle with The Urbanist written in for one of the answers.

Test Your Wits with The Urbanist Crossword for November 16

Take the 16th installment of The Urbanist's crossword series, which runs every two weeks. If you love to take a contemplative moment with a brain-teasing puzzle, but you’re tired of nationally syndicated crosswords with no local flair or stance on high-capacity transit, you’re right where you need to be.
A person rides a Lime scooter on First Avenue in front of Pike Place Market with an SUV passing in the other lane.

Seattle Scootershare Ridership Continues to Surge, as Critics Make Regulatory Push

Seattle's scootershare and bikeshare program continues to boom, setting a new ridership record in 2025. At the same time, the program could be at risk of falling victim to its own popularity, with increasing calls to beef up regulations, particularly on scooters.
Advocates wave "build the damn trains sign" and Kirk from Transportation Choices Coalition speaks at the lectern

‘Build the Damn Trains’ Campaign Pushes Sound Transit Toward Creative Solutions

As the Sound Transit board approaches the point of grappling with how to rebalance the entire Sound Transit 3 package, transit advocates are urging them to look for new solutions outside of project delays or cancellations.