Vacancies rising: In the core of Downtown Seattle, 26% of apartment dwelling units are empty ($).
Going all in: A non-profit developer is planning more than 700 dwelling units near the Judkins Park and Mount Baker neighorhoods.
No public vote here: State leaders are dreaming up more unsustainable highway boondoggles from North King County to Puyallup, which could be funded through tolls imposed by the legislature.
DC enfranchisement: Should 16-year-olds be allowed to vote? Washington, D.C. may soon decide ($).
Free the transit: Island Transit is sticking with no bus fares for now, except for one route.
PTC nearly 100%: Sound Transit is on course to have positive train control fully implemented by the end of year.
Back to basics: Central Park is now officially car-free.
Value in transit: Data in Atlanta shows that office space near high quality transit is demanding a premium.
Fairness at a crossroads: Now that Anthony Kennedy has departed from the supreme court, what does that mean for federal fair housing laws?
DRB: Several projects in Capitol Hill went before design review.
Kawaii bullet train: Have you heard of the new Hello Kitty Japanese bullet train?
Crisis in SAN: Bridge housing in San Diego, so far, doesn’t appear to be performing at the level of rehousing envisioned.
Resurgence of the belts: The sunbelt and rustbelt appear to be growing the share of highly skilled labor.
Equitable broadband: Boulder is backing a citywide municipal broadband network.
Reducing pollution: Seattle’s plastic straw and utensil ban is now in effect.
Designing affordable housing: New York City’s design commission is taking on affordable housing, hoping to make it better.
Denied: A large multi-tower, mixed-use project near Shoreline has been denied by a local hearing examiner ($).
Far from reality: Rate of crime and fear of crime in Seattle often don’t match reality ($).
LGA airtrain: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is getting his very indirect LaGuardia airtrain connection.
Hateful governance rejected: The Trump regime’s inhumane family separation policy at the border has been halted ($) and is now being forced to reunite children and parents.
Scootolution: Is Paris ready for the scooter revolution?
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.