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Opinion

A Christmas Market That Doesn’t Suck Is Still Elusive for Seattle

Holiday merrymaking should involve more whimsy, less rigmarole, and less price gouging. Seattle still hasn't cracked the code to create a true Christmas market that...
Two police SUVs are parked behind metal barricades blocking traffic from Market Street.

Op-Ed: The Seattle Police Department Has an Efficiency Problem

SPD’s refusal to offload low-priority calls is undermining its ability to solve serious crimes. Over recent decades, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) has increasingly handled...
A line out the door at the Southcenter Jolibee

How Fried Chicken Can Ruin Cities or Enrich Them

Clogging arteries is a fast food joint specialty, but good urban planning can get things flowing. You may have seen in the news that some...
Entrance gate to T-Mobile Park with crowd going through ticketing, looking upward towards soft clouds and banners for Vegas and Seattle.

The NHL Winter Classic Can Accelerate Seattle’s Sonics Boom

Seattle’s big hockey Winter Classic success at the ballpark offers lessons to nightly sports on the other side of town.

Op-Ed: What’s in a Name? Tacoma Town Center and the Future of Downtown

The stalling out of major downtown redevelopment offers a chance to finetune goals. The Tacoma Town Center, a $300-million project that is to be developed...

Burgeoning Waterfront Redefines Vancouver, Washington

Ambitious development is taking Washington State’s most overlooked city from 'Vantucky' backwater to hip. A few years ago an Urbanist reader approached me at a...

Op-Ed: State Must Pass Transit-Oriented Housing Rules Prioritizing Equity, Affordability

In 2023 the stakes are the highest they have ever been. Wildfires and sea level rise have put the climate crisis in stark context....
Combination banner of images including a pool, highway, fountain, cookies saying "yes on I-135" and par saying 2023 Year in Review

The Urbanist 2023: Articles You May Have Missed

We've all had a busy year. Really, there were four elections. Sure, that's a regular occurrence in Seattle, but it's still a lot. So,...