Streetcar barn tower: The City of Seattle has been approached to build a private office tower ($) over the South Lake Union streetcar garage.
Turn for change: Rainier Beach High School has not seen significant reinvestment in a long time despite numerous school district-wide capital levies. Hanna Brooks Olsen asks when the high school will get its turn for a change.
Redesigning a river: Some want to transform Chicago’s central river from a filthy waterway to a dyanmic and environmentally friendly resource.
Investigate thyself: A special Washington State Senate committee held a frivolous investigation of Sound Transit.
On walkability: Public health experts have given American infrastructure for walkability a failing grade. On a related note, Streetsblog weighed in on school design and the intersection of walkability by way of Decatur, Georgia.
Uni District tower: A 24-story tower slated for the University District is in the planning and design process with NBBJ leading the effort.
Greening up buildings: New York City is poised to require higher standards for many existing buildings to meet stringent energy efficiency standards or face steep fines.
Bikeable suburb: Little Carmel, Indiana shows how suburbs can make transformative change to facilitate biking according to PlacesForBikes.
Platform doors: Yonah Freemark explores the topic of platform doors for trains and why they are virtually absent in North American transit systems despite popularity across the globe.
Suing big pharma: Washington State and Seattle will join Everett in suing a Purdue Pharma over its hand in the growing opioid epidemic.
Post-earthquake response: In Mexico City, parks and bikes played a very important role in helping with the earthquake emergency response.
Carbon tax hike: After five years of no increases, British Columbia is finally increasing the province’s carbon tax under a budget agreement between the progressive coalition government.
CA taking lead: Following suit with global peers, California could ban the sales of carbon emitting vehicles in the coming decades.
Changing cityscape: With a continuing boom in Vancouver, B.C., long-standing Brutalist towers and achitecture may begin coming down.
Polluting neighbors: Maryland is sueing the United States Environmental Protection Agency for allowing nearby out-of-state plants to send their pollution into Maryland.
In search of inclusivity: Richard Florida dives into studies on the relationship of a strong economy and inclusive growth–spoiler: most major cities are failing at inclusive growth.
Off-duty guidance: New guidance for Seattle police officers will dramatically change the proceedures for hiring off-duty officers ($).
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.