# District 2 Councilmember Tammy Morales announced Wednesday morning that she will resign in January, saying she has been undermined and frozen out of legislating by the more conservative-leaning Seattle City Council majority. The resignation sets up another council appointment and a special election next fall.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Battle lines are forming over the Occidental Avenue street vacation, which could (un)pave the way for Chris Hansen's basketball and soccer arena, ahead of a big vote expected at the May 2nd full council meeting. In the Sustainability and Transportation Committee, Sally Bagshaw was the only councilmember to vote against the petition asking for a| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Light rail tunnels to West Seattle Junction and Ballard took a step closer from dream to reality thanks to Sound Transit's latest analysis suggesting the cost for at least some of the tunnel options would be comparable to the elevated default option. The catch for Ballard Link is that the cheaper tunnel option still puts| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# A 25-year investment in high quality transit is a big commitment to make, but the Puget Sound Region just made it after last night's ballot drop showed Sound Transit 3 (ST3) with an insurmountable 55% to 45% lead. The Sound Transit taxing district has an estimated population of 2.8 million and covers most of the| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# The Sound Transit board showed it was taking delay costs seriously in rejecting late changes to the South Lake Union's Ballard Link stations. However, that principle could indicate a harder path to resurrect Chinatown's 4th Avenue station, based on how the board has designed the process.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Advocates worry Sound Transit is tilting the scales in favor of the board's preferred alternatives of skipping Chinatown and Midtown and shifting Denny Station north. In August, the Sound Transit Board approved a $122 million disbursement to its consultant HNTB for an environmental study and engineering work for Ballard Link light rail. Sound Transit portrayed| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# The 4th Avenue Shallow and Shallower and Midtown station options remain in contention, but with Mayor Harrell warning against "false hope." In a marathon five-hour meeting Thursday afternoon, the Sound Transit Board of Directors fundamentally altered plans for a new downtown light rail tunnel connecting Ballard Link to the rest of the system. Instead of| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# It ain't much, but that's all the Board's going on too. This week, the Sound Transit Board of Directors will be deciding on preferred Ballard Link alignments and station locations. Some are still up-in-air, with the most critical ones in the Midtown-to-I-90 segment. Impacts to the Chinatown International District (CID) have emerged as primary concerns.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Supporters, colleagues and elected officials gathered at Seattle's Westin Hotel for Futurewise's Spring Breakfast Livable Community Awards on March 2nd. The awards lifted up six groups that have excelled in community-building to advance equity and environmental causes. The winners were Kittitas County, the City of Bellevue, Beacon Food Forest, Roosevelt Neighborhood Association, King Conservation District, and Yesler Community Collaborative.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Friday's ballot count was very friendly to Seattle progressives, with mayoral challenger Katie Wilson exceeding the 50% mark with the boost. The election dynamics favor a progressive wave. Here's why.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Partnering with Republicans on housing supply may have helped doom tenant legislation. Last Wednesday marked a major deadline for bills in the Washington State Legislature, and rent stabilization didn't make the cut. State Democratic leaders had talked about the need for a three-legged stool of housing supply, subsidy, and stability at the start of session.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# The Washington State Legislature adjourned on March 10th with some significant wins and some very concerning whiffs. Republicans stayed true to their do nothing brand, whining about not being included but gumming up the works every time they were. Unfortunately, despite their strong majorities, Democrats left too much undone and let Republicans, with aid from| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# On Thursday, Urban Institute released a new report focused on the Seattle metropolitan region that is sure to be of interest to urbanists and housing advocates. The Urbanist published a preview of this research this fall, after talking to lead researcher Yonah Freemark. The full report goes into much more detail about housing needs in| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# The land use committee meeting on Wednesday was an eventful one, as several councilmembers shared their critiques of the Seattle comprehensive plan work thus far. Councilmember Alex Pedersen had already attacked the plan from a conservative 'slow the growth' perspective, but most of his colleagues urged OPCD to think bigger and add more housing options.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# The Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) cleared another hurdle in crafting its growth plan for the next 20 years with a scoping report published today. The report summarizes comments and lays out the Comphensive Plan alternatives that OPCD is studying in greater detail. It also keeps the five alternatives that the department| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# The Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce released its twice annual "Index" poll of Seattle voters today and found even stronger support for new housing than last time around, even when that came to replacing single family homes in respondents' own neighborhoods. The poll (crosstabs) found 65% of respondents supported adding triplexes in "many single family| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Seattle is embarking on a journey to adjust its zoning policy. That journey starts in earnest with the scoping period for the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Comprehensive Plan Major Update. The scoping comment period ends tonight (August 22) at midnight. Visit the One Seattle Plan Engagement Hub to comment on scoping -- more comment periods| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Northwest Progressive Institute has released a new poll showing razor close races for Seattle Mayor and City Attorney. Incumbents Bruce Harrell and Ann Davison are both well below the 50% mark, pointing to vulnerability. Meanwhile, progressive mayoral challenger Katie Wilson is rolling out big endorsements.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Juarez, who represented District 5 from 2016 to 2023, will immediately become one of the most experienced members of the council. But she pledged to defer to former Councilmember Cathy Moore when it comes to the city's growth plan, a move that likely worries housing advocates.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# While Bellevue is projecting 225,000 additional residents by 2045, Seattle is anticipating a more modest 200,000 for its comprehensive planning purposes. In its new draft plan, Seattle adds fourplex zoning across most, but not all of the city, plus 24 "Neighborhood Centers" and one new urban center with more intensive zoning changes.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Council President Sara Nelson and Councilmember Rob Saka unexpectedly skipped a housing committee meeting Wednesday, holding up 14 appointments to the shorthanded Seattle Renters Commission. Councilmember Alexis Rinck sharply criticized the "disrespectful" move, as did several nominees.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# NE 130th Street Station opens in 2025 and Graham Street and Boeing Access Road Stations open in 2031 under the amended plan. The Sound Transit Board of Directors voted Thursday to pursue a hybrid plan that mostly avoids delays beyond modest "planning delays" to the vast majority of the Sound Transit 3 (ST3) program. An| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# In Seattle, any person can nominate just about any building for historic landmark status — even without the consent of the building owner — which can delay or upend housing projects. The Washington State Legislature is advancing legislation that would place guardrails on historic landmark programs.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Hamstrung by rising building costs, Seattle's seven-year levy would fund 3,000 affordable homes. The Seattle Housing Levy is due for renewal this year, and Mayor Bruce Harrell unveiled a $970 million proposal on Thursday that would more than triple the size of the levy. Due to rising construction, financing, and land costs, that nearly billion-dollar| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# The race for King County Executive is heating up, and King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci says that she has the edge based on her internal polling. King County Council Chair Girmay Zahilay came in a close second in the poll, and King County Assessor John Wilson was a distant third, weighted down by stalking and harassment allegations.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Check out the key takeaways from the Seattle City Council candidate forum focused on mobility and housing issues that happened earlier this month. An urbanist consensus emerged among some, but not all issues.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# The change hiking fares on short-distance riders and lowering them for long-distance trips will go into effect when Lynnwood Link opens in the fall. Three-dollar light rail fares will be the rule of the land after the Sound Transit Board of Directors approved the change in an unanimous vote on Friday. For short trips, riders| The Urbanist - Examining urban policy to improve cities and quality of life.
# King County Council Chair Claudia Balducci announced yesterday that the County would not be advancing plans to run a transit package ballot measure in August. Since the measure was to be funded by a 0.2% sales tax, there was a fear it would exacerbate economic hardship from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Leaders also worried| The Urbanist - Examining urban policy to improve cities and quality of life.
# At a protest Monday, Seattle City Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck urged Seattle leaders to take on Trump to defend against attacks on federal workers, civil liberties, and constitutional rights. After earlier talks of collaborating with Trump, Mayor Harrell struck a more defiant tone in "State of the City" speech today, but was light on specifics.| The Urbanist - Examining urban policy to improve cities and quality of life.
# In a recent interview, Girmay Zahilay delved into his urbanist policy platform and values in his bid for King County Executive. We covered boosting housing, staunching Metro's fiscal cliff, leading Sound Transit, resisting Trump overreach, and more.| The Urbanist - Examining urban policy to improve cities and quality of life.
# King County Executive Dow Constantine is not seeking a fifth term, but County Councilmember Claudia Balducci is seeking to grab the baton and carry the initiatives he leaves behind over the finish line. She will face numerous challengers in what is sure to be a crowded primary.| The Urbanist - Examining urban policy to improve cities and quality of life.
# The draft plan still isn't out, which is worrying housing advocates. But success is still within reach. Last year, the City of Seattle had planned to release its draft “One Seattle” Comprehensive Plan in April, but that draft has still not been released to the public after the Harrell administration has repeatedly set new timelines| The Urbanist - Examining urban policy to improve cities and quality of life.
# Single family zoning will soon be a thing of the past for most Washington cities thanks to passage of statewide “missing middle” housing reform this state legislative session. This monumental success was thanks in large part to lawmaker heroes named below and the far-ranging coalition that coalesced behind the bill. The state legislature took up| The Urbanist - Examining urban policy to improve cities and quality of life.
# On Friday, Seattle Hearing Examiner Ryan Vancil issued a pre-hearing ruling largely in the City of Seattle's favor, taking some wind out of the sails of the homeowner groups that brought a lengthy appeal of the Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) rezones. The various appeals sought to poke holes in the MHA Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)--the| The Urbanist - Examining urban policy to improve cities and quality of life.
# The Eastside will have light rail service for the first time, as East Link launches Saturday. The Urbanist has everything you need to know about this momentous occasion.| The Urbanist - Examining urban policy to improve cities and quality of life.
# Sound Transit revealed delayed timelines for its next four light rail extensions Thursday. Defects in concrete plinths in a four-mile section of East Link through Mercer Island and Seattle have caused a delay of at least a year, pushing the expected opening from July 2023 to late 2024. The Federal Way light rail extension, meanwhile,| The Urbanist - Examining urban policy to improve cities and quality of life.
# Last week, concrete drivers represented by Teamster Local No. 174 offered to return to work at three of the six concrete companies facing a strike. Those companies have mostly declined to do so, which prolongs the concrete shortage around the region. The concrete drivers' strike is now in its 125th day. This stalemate has prompted| The Urbanist - Examining urban policy to improve cities and quality of life.
# Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell teased a few urbanist-minded initiatives as he delivered his annual state of the city speech on Tuesday, putting support behind a push to pedestrianize Pike Place and launched a new "Northern Lights" vision to remake Aurora Avenue. Exactly when either change would occur remains unclear.| The Urbanist - Examining urban policy to improve cities and quality of life.
# Today, Sound Transit ruled out late-breaking South Lake Union station alternatives for Ballard Link. Major business lobbied hard for the late "shifted west" additions, but it wasn't enough to win over the board.| The Urbanist - Examining urban policy to improve cities and quality of life.
# A new aquarium and "Overlook Walk" to Pike Place Market headline a revamped Seattle Waterfront just one year away from its grand opening, all made possible by tearing down the Alaskan Way Viaduct.| The Urbanist - Examining urban policy to improve cities and quality of life.
# The Seattle City Council has selected SPD crime prevention coordinator Mark Solomon to fill the District 2 vacancy created by the resignation of Tammy Morales earlier this month. He'll serve through November.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# On Monday the Seattle City Council passed a resolution signaling intent to move forward with plans to renovate the Seattle Center Coliseum (popularly dubbed KeyArena despite shirked royalties by KeyBank). The day after, the Port of Seattle came up with the additional $10 million to close the funding gap for the Lander Street overpass and| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# The Seattle City Council surprised some yesterday when it voted against an Occidental Avenue street vacation that hedge fund manager Chris Hansen requested in order to clear the way for a new arena in SoDo to maybe lure an NBA franchise back to Seattle. The vote turned out to split along gender lines. The council’s| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# The Sound Transit board approved the route for West Seattle Link Thursday, clearing the way for engineering work that will advance the project to 80% design by 2027. Opponents cited worries that rising project costs would jeopardize light rail extensions to Tacoma and to Everett.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# King County Executive Dow Constantine has sided with those seeking to site light rail outside of the Chinatown-International District (CID). In his annual State of the County speech yesterday, Constantine backed using redevelopment of the King County Administration Building to site the new south downtown station as proposed in the 'North of CID' alternative --| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Tacoma Dome Link is facing a three-year delay as Sound Transit recommends adding new options to avoid problems in Fife and South Federal Way. The Tacoma Dome Link Extension (TDLE) likely won't open until 2035, Sound Transit announced Monday. The extension will add four stations and ten miles of mostly elevated light rail extending south| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# The Urbanist does not use the word NIMBY. Except I just did in that headline. Oops! Sorry, I was just so frustrated that “livability” activists are using transit on-time performance to stall much needed housing. Specifically, a project called Phinney Flats aiming to build 57 homes in Phinney Ridge got blocked by a motivated and| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# East Link light rail expansions set the stage for boosting housing and transforming streets to overcome car dependence. The next year will be a pivotal, signaling whether Eastside cities are executing an urban transformation or falling back into old exclusionary patterns, ceding regional leadership back to the other side of the lake.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has shrunk the dimensions of eight neighborhood centers and six urban center expansions he proposed last year. The move chops dozens of blocks off the growth centers, limiting opportunities for apartments and affordable homebuilding and drawing criticism from housing advocates.| The Urbanist - Examining urban policy to improve cities and quality of life.
# Check out our top ten lawmakers who distinguished themselves for good and bad from the 2024 session of the Washington State Legislature.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Time is running out to pass rent stabilization in the state house or miss a key bill cutoff, putting off rent relief for another year. Supporters are rallying support in a last ditch effort.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# If you've taken introductory economics, you've likely heard some bad things about rent control. Most economists (e.g., 81%) don't like it. Generally, economists argue rent control restricts housing supply and is counterproductive to affordability in the long-term. But could that consensus be eroding? Seattle rents doggedly continue skyrocketing, and politically rent control is making a| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# As the Seattle City Council took its first look at Mayor Bruce Harrell's One Seattle Comprehensive Plan on Monday, Cathy Moore delivered a slow-growth manifesto, tinged with derision for renters, who she portrayed an unengaged and a detriment to neighborhoods.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Seattle has grown much faster than planners and policymakers predicted, which means our planning framework needs to be nimble. Every ten years Seattle makes a major update to the Comprehensive Plan, used to make rules about how we plan for growth and what kind of housing can be built where. The last time we had| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Seattle City Council's District 2 race just got a little more crowded, as Protec17 union steward Jamie Fackler announced his candidacy today. Fackler brings the strongest union ties to the race, and he also is the most unabashed proponent of social housing.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# A third of King County Metro's pre-pandemic transit ridership has yet to return, and many agencies are seeing stronger rebounds. Where did the bus riders go?| The Urbanist - Examining urban policy to improve cities and quality of life.
# The Sound Transit Executive Committee approved a secret "Candidate C" as its CEO pick today. It's unclear if that candidate is King County Executive Dow Constantine or another finalist. The committee will seek to negotiate an employment contract and formally approve the hire at the agency's full board meeting on March 27.| The Urbanist - Examining urban policy to improve cities and quality of life.
# What is a 23-year-old woman's life worth? To Daniel Auderer, Vice President of the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG), apparently the answer is $11,000 plus some laughs at her untimely demise. In January, Seattle Police Department (SPD) officer Kevin Dave was speeding at 74 mph in a 25 mph zone when he collided with Jaahnavi| The Urbanist - Examining urban policy to improve cities and quality of life.
# Housing advocates outnumbered opponents by a margin of 89 to 75 during a five-hour public hearing Wednesday on the One Seattle housing growth plan. Nevertheless, several councilmembers made it clear they sided with slow-growth advocates, rather than the majority demanding more housing options.| The Urbanist - Examining urban policy to improve cities and quality of life.
# On Monday, Bellingham joined the growing list of cities that have opted to eliminate parking mandates citywide. Bellingham Mayor Kim Lund and an allied city council have more housing reforms on deck.| The Urbanist - Examining urban policy to improve cities and quality of life.
