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Community Development

A construction crane over a building under construction with another building under construction across the street and workers standing between them.

A Housing Advocate’s Guide to Commenting on Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan Update

The Urbanist has reported on the rezoning concepts unveiled for Seattle's 2024 Major Comprehensive Plan Update, which will guide growth in the city for...

Swim Classes Save Lives, But It’s Hard to Snag a Spot in Seattle

Last summer I signed my daughter up for a 15 minute private swim lesson at Little Fish Swim School. After a 45 minute bike...

Join The Urbanist Board

Do you think that cities provide unique opportunities for addressing society’s difficult problems from the climate emergency to the housing affordability dilemma? Do you...

Opening Streets to Play Creates Powerful Community Connections

Last summer, we started organizing block parties. We applied for a permit from the city, and blocked off either end of our street to...

Bellevue’s State of the City Paints Urbanist Vision But Misses the Mark

Early Tuesday morning, over 150 people packed into a fourth floor ballroom of Meydenbauer Center to attend Bellevue's annual State of the City address...

Ways to Support and Engage with Black Urbanism in Seattle and Tacoma

The first Juneteenth may have been celebrated in 1866, but the holiday memorializing the liberation of America's last enslaved people after the end of...
a photo of a pier at sunset

Grassroots Activists Share Their Path to Success in Sunsetting Inequitable Community Councils

On July 9, 2022, HB 1769 sunsets the Houghton and East Bellevue Community Councils, which existed for more than five decades.  We detailed the inequity...
a report cover for a south king county guaranteed basic income pilot evaluation and policy analysis

South King County Pilot Shows Promise of Guaranteed Basic Income

In 2020, King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay initiated the King County Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot program, which was funded by community service operating grant...