Sky high: Even in Spokane renters are rent-burdened and the rents keep climbing.
LBGTQ senior housing: A Capitol Hill Housing project will deliver affordable apartments for LBGTQ seniors.
Transnational: Basel, Switzerland now operates the only streetcar system in the world traversing three countries.
404 Error: Governor Jay Inslee (D-WA) vows to protect net neutrality in Washington. On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal net neutrality ($). Lawsuits against the repeal are pending by many states and Congress could vote to block it.
Parked: Hartford, Connecticut has thrown parking minimums entirely out leaving it to the market to decide.
Defending water supply: Two state legislators argue why the Hirst Decision protecting water supplies should stand ($) instead of being stomped on by legislative fiat.
Interborough crisis: In New York City, the L Train will need to temporarily shut down between Brooklyn and Manhattan for repairs ($) and that has created extensive public debate.
Concrete landfill or park: The Battery Street Tunnel could just be filled by concrete debris by the state transportation department after closure of the Viaduct; many locals hope that it will be a below-ground park.
Tolling talk: Express tolls on I-405 should rise to $10 to manage demand ($), according to a state report. Talks on tolling the future SR-99 tunnel ($) are also beginning.
Running water: In Tacoma, the city began providing homeless individuals running water resulting in a better quality of life for people and reducing pollution.
Con-artist: Elon Musk unmasked himself this week as the anti-transit, anti-urbanist elitist he is and then trashed transit guru Jarrett Walker on Twitter over a fair observation that Walker made.
End of an era: Scott Kubly, former director of Seattle’s transportation department, resigned on Friday ($).
Fort Lawton: Residents in Magnolia are trying to stop an affordable housing project at the decaying Fort Lawton.
Eco-trolling: On bike in Paris, Arnold Schwarzenegger trolled Trump for withdrawing from the Paris Accord on climate change.
Cap-and-trade: California’s cap-and-trade program could generate more than $8 billion in revenues annually by 2027.
Competing proposals: Two ultra-fast rail proposals are being floated between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. We know one (Hyperloop) is a fantasy, but are both?
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.