Cities around the region are starting to grapple with greater accountability for creating more affordable housing, in the wake of a far-reaching decision impacting Mercer Island. Bainbridge Island and Clyde Hill provide an early look at those conversations. The post Cities Grapple With ‘Game-Changing’ Impact of Mercer Island Housing Plan Ruling first appeared on The Urbanist.| The Urbanist
# With monthly ridership now exceeding 200,000 on the 2 Line, Downtown Redmond Link has clearly kicked things into a higher gear. Having a light rail station so well integrated into a growing urban neighborhood is likely part of the recipe for success.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Sammamish will study increasing the upper limit on housing in its Town Center to 4,000 units, after nearly two decades of anemic growth under a previous growth framework. The 6-1 vote came after a significant amount of community opposition and misinformation.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# Bothell becomes the first city in either King or Snohomish County to fully eliminate off-street parking mandates in order to reduce costs for homebuilding. The move clearly solidifies the city as a leader on housing and land use reform.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# A narrow four-member majority caved to housing opponents as the Bellevue City Council finalized zoning changes impacting the city's lower density residential areas. Scaling back an ambitious proposal that increased flexibility for builders, Bellevue is only set to exceed the state minimum in a few areas.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# RSVP to The Urbanism on the Eastside Panel and join representatives from across the Eastside as they answer questions about housing, land use, and transportation.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.
# The vision that Bellevue has for parking-dominated Wilburton is thousands of new homes close to transit and trail connections. The question now is getting the details right so that development can be fostered, rather than stifled.| The Urbanist » Advocacy journalism for better cities.