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Plans and Policy

Seattle Transportation Plan Project List Suggests Roadmap for Levy Renewal

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has released a draft project list intended to go along with its mammoth Seattle Transportation Plan, still in...

Seattle Transportation Plan Needs More Focus on Outcomes, Planning Commission Says

Seattle's Planning Commission is pressing for the citywide transportation plan currently being developed by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) to contain more details...
North Bend aerial photo that also shows Mt. Si.

Regional Officials Hit the Brakes on More Suburban Sprawl Near I-90

A meeting of an obscure regional planning body got tense last week as elected officials sparred over the issue of expanding King County's urban growth...
Yellow front of a streetcar passing in front of brick buildings.

Harrell’s Transportation Budget Focuses on Downtown But Leaves Out the Streetcar

Transportation was essentially a footnote this week as Mayor Bruce Harrell announced his proposed changes to Seattle's 2024 city budget, with housing, police tech,...
Seattle Pacific Medical Center is a brick art deco building atop Beacon Hill dating backed to 1932.

285 Reasons Seattle’s Zoning is an [Unfunny] Joke

Strangely, it is very difficult to answer the question: "How many zones does Seattle have?" That alone suggests an uncomfortable answer. The Seattle Municipal Code...
Mayor Harrell at a podium with people behind him. He is talking about funding programs for the homeless.

Harrell’s 2024 Budget Leaves Big Questions on Safety and Looming Shortfall

Durable solutions to police accountability, public safety, drug treatment, and homelessness all remain elusive and vaguely defined. On Tuesday, Mayor Bruce Harrell released his 2024...
A construction worker gathers supplies as the light filters through the clouds. One story of the four story building is complete at this point.

Op-Ed: Impact Fees Are Just Another Exclusionary Housing Policy in Disguise

Seattle is misguidedly preparing to levy impact fees on homebuilders amidst a housing crisis. Seattle is in a housing crisis, a direct result of decades-long...
Seattle Central Library is a glassy modernist building that cantilever out at the top.

Seattle’s Public Libraries Chart a New Strategic Direction

At its core, the strategy is built on the idea that “the library makes a difference in people’s lives and in the greater community." All...