Seattle must embrace bold zoning changes in Queen Anne and similar neighborhoods to preserve our city's promise for future generations. We need a lot more housing in all parts of Seattle. Seattle isn’t full. Queen Anne isn’t full.
Roger Millar standing at a podium for a photo op

WSDOT Secretary Millar Issues Departing Warning to Policymakers

Washington State could be set to pay a significant price for decades of underinvesting in basic maintenance of the state transportation system, outgoing WSDOT head Roger Millar said.

Amtrak Cascades On Track to Deliver New Airo Trainsets in 2026

The Pacific Northwest is set to be the first home for one of Amtrak's next-generation trains starting in 2026, Amtrak confirmed at the agency's annual board meeting in Seattle last week.

Op-Ed: Protecting Democracy Requires Unbiased Law Enforcement — Not Davison’s Extreme...

Republican Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison has used her power to target her opponents and protect her political allies among the rich and powerful. Voters should deny her a second term.
A light rail train in SoDo passes under highway overpasses and enters an intersection.

Sound Transit Delays 1 Line Repairs, Schedules New Disruptions in Early...

Sound Transit is delaying repair work that had been planned December 7 and 8, but expanding its maintenance work and service disruption schedule in January and February.

The Levy to Move Seattle Era Draws to a Close

As Seattle's nine year transportation levy expires and a new one is set to take its place, the city is leaving behind the transformative goals of the Move Seattle era and trading them for something more modest.

King County Seeks Help from State Legislature After Approving 2025 Budget

Facing a $150 million budget deficit in the next biennium, county leaders asked for state legislative fixes that would give them a path to preserving essential services. Lifting the 1% property tax levy cap is chief among them.

Tammy Morales to Resign from Seattle Council, Citing Mistreatment by Colleagues

District 2 Councilmember Tammy Morales announced Wednesday morning that she will resign in January, saying she has been undermined and frozen out of legislating by the more conservative-leaning Seattle City Council majority. The resignation sets up another council appointment and a special election next fall.

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Get Your Tickets for Our Anniversary Celebration on December 5th

Join The Urbanist on December 5 at the historic Stimson-Green Mansion for an evening of celebration, reflection, and community. Space is limited. Get your tickets now!
The Space Needle peeks over the top of midrise rooftops

Join The Urbanist for Our Monthly Meetup on November 19th

The Urbanist next monthly meetup is Tuesday, November 19th at TeKu Tavern + Cafe in Seattle from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.

Join Us December 5th for The Urbanist’s 10th Anniversary Celebration

Join The Urbanist on December 5 at the historic Stimson-Green Mansion for an evening of celebration, reflection, and community. Space is limited. Get your tickets now!

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Claudia Balducci stands at a lectern with drums next to her and drummers dressed in traditional Japanese garb behind.

Claudia Balducci Wants to Tackle King County’s Challenges Head-On as Executive

In making her case to become the next King County Executive, Claudia Balducci is pointing to her extensive track record of delivering on housing and transportation –– and getting the details right.
A central square in downtown Redmond has a row of bike parking and tents set up for a street far. Midrise apartment buildings ring the square and a construction crane adds another.

Redmond Greenlights Center Upzones, Sixplexes Citywide, Higher Affordability Requirements

The recently passed Redmond 2050 plan increases housing capacity and aims to produce nearly 30,000 new homes by 2050, mostly downtown and in Overlake Village. However, homebuilders warn that the City is adding new obstacles that could impede housing development.

Builders Continue Pivot to Housing in Downtown Bellevue

In shift away from office and toward housing growth, Downtown Bellevue's development pipeline has seen nearly 4,000 additional homes proposed and more than two million square feet of office space abandoned in just the last couple of years. Once built, the pipeline of 14,000 homes would more than double the population of downtown.

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Cafe Hagen is on the corner with a seven-story building in the background.

Op-Ed: Queen Anne Must Embrace New Neighbors Rather than Fear Housing

Seattle must embrace bold zoning changes in Queen Anne and similar neighborhoods to preserve our city's promise for future generations. We need a lot more housing in all parts of Seattle. Seattle isn’t full. Queen Anne isn’t full.

Seattle Set to Double Down on Arbitrary Parking Mandates

Despite being a longtime parking reform leader, Seattle is set to require off-street parking, even as it unlocks significant housing capacity near transit. This will make housing harder to build.

Updated Seattle Growth Plan Adds Five Neighborhood Anchors, Bigger Fourplexes

An updated version of Seattle's 20-year growth plan includes additional opportunities for housing density, but mostly retains the city's longstanding pattern of walling off lower-density areas of the city.

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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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