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King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay rolled out the Regional Workforce Housing Initiative this week, aiming to use bonding to boost family-sized workforce housing construction. Colleagues were largely supportive, but warned the devil was in the details.
Recent Posts
West Seattle Link Cost Estimates Jump As Much As $1.6 Billion
Cost estimates on the four-station West Seattle Link light rail project have jumped from $4 billion to upwards of $5.6 billion. It will fall on the Sound Transit board to find a way forward.
Metro Launches RapidRide G, Seattle’s Most Ambitious Bus Rapid Transit Project
King County Metro's eighth RapidRide line, Madison Street's G Line, launches Saturday with some of the most robust speed and reliability features of any bus route in Puget Sound.
Fall 2024 Transit Service Changes Include Big Shakeups Across Puget Sound
Puget Sound bus networks are getting fall updates, with a major overhaul in store near Lynnwood Link stations and the new RapidRide G Line. King County Metro, Community Transit, and Sound Transit are rolling out changes on September 14.
‘Keep Seattle Moving’ Levy Campaign Kicks Off
Transportation advocacy and business groups alike are supporting Seattle's Prop 1, the $1.55 billion renewal of the city's transportation levy.
Policy Lab: Cracking Down on Rental “Junk Fees”
President Biden has called out junk fees, but local landlords continue to charge them. Here's what Seattle and other cities can do to address them.
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St. Marks Pauses Project Adding 119 Affordable Homes on Campus
St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral officials cited multiple headwinds against development for delaying plans for housing and renovation of the historic Nicholas School on their North Capitol Hill campus.
Join for The Urbanist’s RapidRide G Line Opening Celebration
The Urbanist is hosting an opening day celebration for the RapidRide G Line, which commences service early Saturday morning. Our event is from 5:00pm to 7:30pm at Stoup Capitol Hill.
Join The Urbanist for Our Monthly Meetup Tonight
Join The Urbanist for our monthly meetup tonight (August 22nd) from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at Stoup Capitol Hill.
Join The Urbanist’s Lynnwood Link Opening Celebration at Hemlock State Brewing
Join The Urbanist in Mountlake Terrace on August 30 to celebrate the opening of the Lynnwood Link light rail extension.
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Proposal for Future Transit Corridor Upzones Draws Sharp Opposition in Kirkland
The idea of allowing denser housing near transit is drawing substantial opposition in Kirkland, including lawn signs. However, the proposed Comprehensive Plan language is barely a proposal yet.
Op-Ed: Bellevue’s New Tree Protections Are a Needed Step Forward
Bellevue recently enacted a bevvy of protections intended to stem the tide of tree canopy loss in suburban residential neighborhoods. It's an important step toward achieving the goal of exceeding 40% tree cover and equitably distributing it across the city.
Bellevue Council Tries to Salvage Pieces of Imperiled Bike Network
It had looked like the idea of reallocating street space to bike lanes was off the table in Bellevue, but a city council discussion last week restarted the debate.
More Eastside Coverage posts »
Seattle’s Growth Plan Keeps Most of the City Unaffordable, County Committee...
Seattle's 20-year growth plan doesn't do enough to ensure that lower income residents will be able to access the vast majority of the city's residential neighborhoods, according to King County's Affordable Housing Committee.
Single Family Zones Are Biggest Culprits in Displacement of Black Seattleites
Seattle's single family areas have seen their Black population plummet by 9,126 since 1990. Meanwhile, "urban village" neighborhood have added more than 8,000 Black residents in that span. Why then is low-density zoning expected to blunt displacement?
Will Seattle Embrace Multiplexes in Single Family Zones Despite Weak Proposal?
Seattle needs to allow more housing in today's single family zones if it's serious about its housing crisis. Strict multiplex size restrictions need to go from the Mayor's growth plan.
More One Seattle Plan posts »
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.
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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