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Acting King County Executive Shannon Braddock was sworn in on April 1, but the King County Council is still deciding on whether they will appoint her through November. Filling in as her former boss departed to take the Sound Transit CEO job, Braddock emphasized continuity.
Attendees fill seats in long tables at Teku Tavern two members of House Our Neighbors present to the group.

Join The Urbanist for Our April Social Events and Walking Tours

The Urbanist is hosting four social events in April. We're also kicking off our urbanism-themed walking tours starting in Kirkland. Plus, on May 10 we'll be hosting a booth at the opening celebration at Downtown Redmond Station.
The domed Olympia Capitol Building stands in the distance with a bus stop with a passenger waiting in the foreground. A dogwalker also mosey on the lawn.

Op-Ed: Don’t Believe Corporate Elite Claiming to Fight for ‘Affordable Washington’

A corporate front group is pushing ads seeking to sap support for taxing the rich as the state faces a budget crisis. John Burbank points out the ads are misleading and argues the state must raise new revenue to avoid draconian cuts that will hit the working class hard.

Adonis Ducksworth Puts Safety Front and Center in D2 Council Campaign

Running to represent Southeast Seattle and the International District for a two-year city council term, Ducksworth brings a long background in community engagement around transportation projects.
Rahr wears her dark blue police uniform with stars and shields on her shoulders.

Seattle Police Department Is “Increasingly Unstable,” Email from Top Official Claims

Seattle Police Department Chief Operating Officer Brian Maxey criticized his former Police Chief Sue Rahr in an email to the Seattle Ethics & Elections Commission, claiming she was directing City contracts to a company she co-founded. Maxey also complained of being cut out of decisions and of worsening morale and a schism among command staff in the email, which was obtained through a public records request.

Amtrak Begins to Restore Cascades Train Service with Relocated Trains

Amtrak has sourced temporary rail cars to restore curtailed Cascades train service, following last week’s removal of 26 Horizon rail cars needing repair for corrosion issues. An additional run to Vancouver, BC will start April 1.
A small cottage with its doors open, revealing living room, behind a larger parent house

Snohomish County Relaxes Urban Accessory Dwelling Rules Ahead of State Deadlines

The Snohomish County Council has further liberalized accessory dwelling unit (ADU) regulations in urban unincorporated areas, building on reforms enacted in 2021. Spurred by state reforms, the County will be allowing more bulk flexibility and ending common ownership requirements for ADUs, and allowing two ADUs of any type per lot.
Bruce Harrell in a suit standing at a lectern. MLK Labor’s Executive Secretary-Treasurer Katie Garrow is to the left and OSE Director Jessyn Farrell to the right. A hazy Seattle skyline is in the background from Queen Anne vantage.

Op-Ed: Bruce Harrell Is a Failed Mayor on Housing

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has failed on housing, Ron Davis writes. Whether kickstarting a homegrown social housing push, encouraging a wide diversity of market-rate housing, or scaling up traditional nonprofit low-income housing to meet the need, Harrell’s halfhearted efforts have fallen flat.

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Attendees fill seats in long tables at Teku Tavern two members of House Our Neighbors present to the group.

Join The Urbanist for Our April Social Events and Walking Tours

The Urbanist is hosting four social events in April. We're also kicking off our urbanism-themed walking tours starting in Kirkland. Plus, on May 10 we'll be hosting a booth at the opening celebration at Downtown Redmond Station.

Join The Urbanist at Thursday Social to Talk Seattle Growth Plan

The Complete Communities Coalition will join us to share how we can ensure city council hears our voices on the One Seattle Plan. The social is from 6pm to 8pm on March 20 at TeKu Tavern.

Join The Urbanist for Our March Social Events

Join The Urbanist for one of our many socials for some comp plan advocacy, or join one of the many local urbanist groups doing their own things.

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Attendees fill seats in long tables at Teku Tavern two members of House Our Neighbors present to the group.

Join The Urbanist for Our April Social Events and Walking Tours

The Urbanist is hosting four social events in April. We're also kicking off our urbanism-themed walking tours starting in Kirkland. Plus, on May 10 we'll be hosting a booth at the opening celebration at Downtown Redmond Station.

Kirkland, Bellevue Sign Off on Proposed RapidRide K Bus Improvements

The local endorsement of a preferred alternative means King County Metro can work toward full design. The agency hopes to secure federal funding at a time of great uncertainty around federal support for public transit projects.

Bellevue Primes Wilburton for a Potential Urban Transformation

The vision that Bellevue has for parking-dominated Wilburton is thousands of new homes close to transit and trail connections. The question now is getting the details right so that development can be fostered, rather than stifled.

More Eastside Coverage posts »

A quiet pedestrian street with a few people walking and plenty of tree canopy with a midrise residential building in the background.

Op-Ed: Harrell’s Growth Plan Shorts Housing and Tree Canopy

Architect Michael Eliason shares his blueprint for a greener Seattle with more abundant and affordable housing. The vision goes beyond townhomes to stacked flats amidst ample tree canopy.

City of Seattle Pushes to Dismiss Appeals Blocking Housing Growth Plan

The six appeals against the One Seattle housing plan had been headed toward a lengthy hearing later this spring. But a filing by the City seeks to dismiss the appeals much more quickly, allowing the plan to move forward.

Facing Legal Appeals, Seattle Poised to Adopt Stopgap Middle Housing Upzones

An interim ordinance will allow Seattle to meet a state deadline, and decide how to allow four and six units on residential lots around the city. But exactly how to do that will likely be a hotly debated issue on the city council.

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Ryan Packer in a bike helmet along a bike path with an autumn-colored tree behind

Ryan Packer Talks Vision Zero, Traffic Safety on Hacks and Wonks...

Ryan Packer broke down local "Vision Zero" traffic safety campaigns on a recent episode of the Hacks and Wonks podcast.
Photo of Rian Watt wearing a t-shirt from the National Civil Rights museum and an unbuttoned button down shirt. He is smiling slightly.

Rian Watt Talks Primary Results on Hack and Wonks Podcast

The Urbanist's Senior Advisor Rian Watt discussed primary election results and the latest happenings at Seattle City Hall on a August 9 episode of...

Urbanist Publisher Doug Trumm Discusses Transportation Levy on Hacks & Wonks...

The Urbanist’s Publisher Doug Trumm was recently on Crystal Fincher's Hacks and Wonks podcast to discuss the Seattle transportation levy proposal, which came in well short of where safe streets advocates were pushing the mayor to go. The episode is a good primer on the levy debate.

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