More recent posts »
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.
Recent Posts
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.
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.
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!
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!
More events posts »
Support Our Work
The Urbanist is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit. We depend on donations from readers like you to sustain our work. Subscribe as a monthly donor or make a one-time donation to help us grow.
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.
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.
More Eastside Coverage posts »
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.
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.
More podcast episodes »