Take them down: Monuments dedicated to racism and hate are being taken down all across the country ($). Locally, there is a desire to excise a Confederate memorial from Capitol Hill.
Fighting haters: A hate group descended on Seattle last weekend, but the counter-protest was significantly larger.
Deplorable lawmaking: Legislators in states across the country have tried to pass laws making it more okay to attack and kill pedestrians by car during protests.
Impossible to know: Greater Greater Washington explains that transit projects have to make unknowable ridership projections.
Rising rents: Rent increases in Tacoma are outpacing those in Seattle.
Brokered deal: King County Metro Transit has worked out a new union agreement with operators that allows part-time operators to work weekend shifts.
Reviving ghost signs: One sign artist is creatively reviving old ghost signs typically seen on brick buildings.
New Hing Hay: Architecture critic Mark Hinshaw reflects on the new addition to Hing Hay Park in Chinatown-International District.
Keeping community: In Rainier Beach, the Ethiopian community is trying to hang on despite gentrification and community members moving further away.
Flight plan: United Airlines plans to join Alaska Airlines with flights out of Paine Field next year ($).
Open plan: Finland is tossing out the traditional approach to designing schools and instead is using open-plan designs for new schools.
Cash option: Limebike is making it easier to pay for rides by offering a cash payment method for people without smartphones.
Stuck in neutral: You’d hardly know that the Trump administration was pushing an infrastructure platform this week, but it’s probably not going anywhere fast and it probably doesn’t help that an advisory council on the issue was folded.
Polyglot youth: Highline Public Schools is aiming to have 100% of students be bilingual by 2026 ($) through immersion.
Take notice: Atlanta’s planning department shows how local agencies can up their design game with public notices.
Harsh critic: Charles Mudede takes a crack at why he thinks Seattle just gets ugly buildings.
Stephen is a professional urban planner in Puget Sound with a passion for sustainable, livable, and diverse cities. He is especially interested in how policies, regulations, and programs can promote positive outcomes for communities. With stints in great cities like Bellingham and Cork, Stephen currently lives in Seattle. He primarily covers land use and transportation issues and has been with The Urbanist since 2014.