Stephen Fesler
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.
No lefts: New York City wants Google Maps to stop promoting left turns.
For the kids: A compelling case for why urban places are better for kids.
Gigabit internet: Kshama Sawant wants to give the Central District real gigabit internet.
Transpo roundup: All the bills that the Washington State Legislature passed on transportation issues...
Sound Transit is in the midst of an important public outreach campaign for their next big transit expansion program, known as Sound Transit 3. Earlier last month, the agency released their Draft Priority Project List for public review and comment. This list essentially highlights a menu of possible service expansion alternatives on the...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7fRIGphgtk
Amanda Burden talks about why public spaces are important to cities and what makes them work (or not).
VanCan commiseration: The Vancouver, BC area's transit referendum failed by wide margins this week, despite grand plans for expansion of SkyTrain and local bus service.
It's just that simple: It's safer for people walking and biking when more people are walking and biking because people driving pay more attention.
Regulating Lowrise: Ethan...
For the past two years, the Washington State Legislature has struggled to pass a comprehensive transportation package to fill the immense backlog of maintenance and repair of existing infrastructure while funding new projects. But yesterday, the Legislature finally came to a compromise on a transportation package that will fund...
The Department of Planning and Development (DPD) is engaging with stakeholders and residents to develop improvements for the City's Design Review Program. In 1994, the City of Seattle adopted a Design Review Program for new development projects of significant scale. Over 1,500 projects (111 per year) have undergone some...
At a full council session yesterday, the Transportation Levy to Move Seattle was unanimously approved by the City Council in an 8-0 vote (Okamoto being absent). The nine-year, $930 million levy will now go to voters for approval in the November General Election. The new levy would secure $95 million annually...
Regional growth: Seattle Transit Blog gives a comprehensive rundown of growth around the Central Puget Sound. It appears that people are choosing Seattle and the Eastside in droves.
Greens for social justice: A group of green thought-leaders back urban growth with social justice in mind.
PDX goes chic: Snøhetta has been picked to design...