Yearly Archives: 2025
Join The Urbanist for February 3 Meetup with House Our Neighbors
Join The Urbanist and House Our Neighbors at TeKu Tavern Monday February 3rd at 6pm to socialize and hear about Prop 1A.
After Outcry, Seattle Public Schools Backpedals on Closures – For Now
The idea of closing schools is currently off the table as Seattle Public Schools considers how to close a significant budget deficit. This year's legislative session and school board elections will be pivotal in determining whether that conversation will resurface.
Facing Budget Crisis, Washington’s Leaders Downplay Focus on Highway Expansion
As other states start to reassess their prioritization of expanding highway capacity in the face of ambitious climate goals and other transportation needs, Washington is still in denial mode.
Sunday Video: Seattle’s Long-Forgotten Hill
The Denny Regrade, completed between 1897 and 1930, changed the face of Seattle's downtown forever. This video from Seattle's municipal archives breaks down how it happened and why.
Op-ed: Boosting Freight Rail Is a Forgotten but Essential Climate Action
Moving freight by rail is significantly more efficient than by truck, a fact that could help Washington meet its climate goals. But are state leaders neglecting improvements to the state rail network?
Seattle Council Poised to Allow Expanded Use of ‘Less Lethal’ Crowd-Control...
A Seattle Council committee voted to move forward with Mayor Bruce Harrell's new less lethal weapons bill on Tuesday. Scheduled for a final vote on February 4, this bill is one of the last steps in Seattle exiting the consent decree, but critics are concerned it could impact Seattleites' constitutional rights of free speech and assembly.
Homebuilders Warn Seattle’s Planned MFTE Changes Threaten to Kill Affordability Program
The Harrell Administration has proposed changes to the Multifamily Property Tax Exemption (MFTE) that housing advocates warn could cause the affordable housing program to “collapse entirely.”
$80 Million Grant Advances South King County’s RapidRide I Toward Construction
The $174 million RapidRide I Line between Renton, Kent, and Auburn is poised to start construction soon after Metro's receipt of a FTA grant in the final days of the Biden Administration. The enhanced bus line is slated to open in 2027.