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Plans and Policy

Harrell’s Downtown Plan for the Perfect Seattle

City dirty. Apply antiseptic liberally. The flexible hybrid schedules and the hit-and-miss Return to Office plans of major employers are hurting most cities’ central business...

Bumping Seattle’s Comp Plan Release to Autumn Pressurizes the Schedule and the Stakes

Seattle’s Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) has announced that release of the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan will be delayed until September. The...

Woodinville’s Mayor Wants You to Know He’s Not a NIMBY

Officials say they're embracing housing growth, but have some caveats. As Washington's middle housing bill, HB 1110, advanced through the legislature during the first few...
Bruce Harrell in a suit standing at a lectern. MLK Labor’s Executive Secretary-Treasurer Katie Garrow is to the left and OSE Director Jessyn Farrell to the right. A hazy Seattle skyline is in the background from Queen Anne vantage.

Seattle Releases Plan to Curb Climate Pollution from Buildings

Landlords are pushing to delay implementation schedules and lessen fees. When asked about the causes of climate change, most may picture cars, coal mines, and...

Council Candidates Mixed on Transportation Impact Fees Despite Pedersen Push Poll

Councilmember Alex Pedersen is renewing a push for Seattle to levy fees on new building projects to pay for capacity improvements to the city's...

Get Involved with Liveable Kirkland’s Toolkit for Activism

Providing public input for local policymaking can be mysterious and daunting. Liveable Kirkland’s Guide to Influencing Kirkland City Policy provides straight-forward instructions and tips...
The Capitol building in Olympia is marble colored and include pillars and a dome in the classic style.

Lessons from Washington State’s New Capital Gains Tax

Taxing the rich works like a charm. Last week we learned that the capital gains tax — which was passed by the state legislature in...

Let the Robots Write the Ordinance

Planners have a lot to wrestle with as ChatGPT comes to code drafting. “In the era of rapid urbanization and evolving urban landscapes, the development...