As our organization grows, we would like to learn more about our readers and would value your input. This anonymous survey takes about five minutes to complete and will be open through November 30. We want to hear what topics intrigue you the most and what you’d like to
These six ideas would create a brighter future for local libraries by adapting to emerging needs. Currently, both the Seattle Public Library (SPL) and the King County Library System (KCLS) are conducting surveys to inform future operations. The SPL survey is to inform SPL’s future strategic plan and the
Comment by October 31 to urge the City to improve the Seattle Transportation Plan. Seattle is mapping out the next two decades of transportation investments as part of its comprehensive plan process, and one transformative option is on the table. The City should not just study that option, but actually
Riders have until August 27 to give feedback on the Phase 3 restructure proposal. Lynnwood Link is set to open in fall 2024 and bring light rail to four new stations. That alone will be transformative to the regional transit network, but the accompanying bus restructure, intended to better serve
Speak out as the Sound Transit Board prepares to make a generational mistake and skip Chinatown with its new downtown light rail tunnel. Sound Transit is on the precipice of making decisions that will waste your time, over and over again, forever. In the spirit of setting a better example
Participate in the online survey and influence decades of future Amtrak Cascades passenger rail service. Work has begun on the first phase of the Amtrak Cascades Service Development Plan (SDP), which will serve as a blueprint for Amtrak Cascades passenger rail service for the next two decades. The last Amtrak
Fall is here, and though the days getting shorter, the city council meetings are getting longer as chief executives from local jurisdictions each put forward their draft budgets. For the City of Bellevue, that means a 2023-24 biennial budget of over $2.2 billion, including a nearly $600 million general
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
First things first — you might be having a lot of feelings about the idea of peeing your pants. I certainly did. But having an accident isn’t something to be ashamed of. As the mom of a toddler, I will do my best to make sure that my kid doesn’
As you might have already heard, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is creating a new plan called the “Seattle Transportation Plan.” This plan will guide transportation planning and implementation for the next decade and beyond. It will update and combine the city’s bike, freight, pedestrian, and transit maps
Today the Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) unveiled its rezoning concepts for the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update, which will guide growth for decades to come. OPCD’s thinking revolves around four broad concepts, plus a “no action” alternative, which Washington State mandates as a study baseline. The agency
Imagine for a moment you are setting out to travel across Seattle to complete a common errand. What transportation choices are available to you today? Now imagine whizzing a decade forward into the future — how would you want to be able to undertake that trip? From more frequent and comprehensive
Home in Tacoma aims to overhaul Tacoma’s housing rules to allow greater flexibility in building practices. It will allow denser housing to be built to house our city’s ever growing population. The initial framework passed in December 2021 bringing Tacoma are one step closer to that goal. Though
A public comment period is open through April 28 that allows riders to influence Sound Transit light rail plans for West Seattle and Ballard Link. We broke down the options earlier this month, noting our organizational take, and now have added a petition to make submitting a comment even easier.
With the official passage of Home in Tacoma in December 2021, the City of Tacoma is finally making moves towards Phase Two: implementation. This phase of the initiative aims to engage the communities of the city more to move off paper and figure out exactly how this plan to increase
As a parent, I am worried about another summer where our children can’t play outside for weeks at a time because they will be exposed to the worst air quality in the world. Destructive wildfires filling the air with toxic smoke have increased in Washington and are disproportionately impacting
For a long time, Washington’s digital divide worried many groups of people who saw its harmful and inequitable effects: librarians, teachers, tribal governments, and community-based organizations that help workers struggling to feed their families, to name several. And then the COVID-19 pandemic happened. All of a sudden people were
As one of the few places in Seattle where industry rubs elbows with homes and small businesses, Georgetown is one of city’s most distinctive neighborhoods, a place for makers — people who dream up, design, build, and fix things. The neighborhood has long attracted people drawn to its industrial grit,
In this second (preview) episode of The Urbanist’s podcast, my fellow host Ray Dubicki and I continue on our journey toward becoming podcasters, which (hint, hint) is not as easy as it might seem. We also discuss the sad demise of Washington State’s proposed HB 1782, a.k.
From now until March 2nd, Seattle is taking comments on a proposal to change the zoning rules in the city’s industrial zones. Based on the work of the former mayor’s Industrial and Maritime Strategy group, the changes will address evolving manufacturing and maritime industries while protecting the lands
Seattleites have the opportunity to provide feedback on four alternatives guiding the future of our Industrial and Maritime lands during two upcoming public hearings: Tuesday, January 11th, 10am, and Wednesday, January 12th, 6pm. Written comments will also be accepted through January 31st. Ahead of the evening hearing on January 12th,
Bellevue’s reputation as our region’s most car-dominated metropolis is well-established and, to my chagrin, well-founded. Guided in part by the desires of our city’s wealthy landowners, our elected officials have historically made policy choices that make using a personal car the easiest and fastest way to get
There has been quite a lull in pro-housing advocacy opportunities since the controversial Mandatory Housing Affordability and Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda rezones of 2019. But thankfully things are starting to HEAT UP. Here are the top things we think you should know about in Seattle. This list is for
The all-volunteer West Design Review Board will hear about a project at 2550 32nd Ave W that would house new neighbors and bring an updated grocery store to the heart of Magnolia. The design review meeting (following a postponement) is scheduled for June 23rd at 5pm. It’s a deep
But legislature’s “grand bargain” complicates the picture and may tie bills to highway expansion package. Sign our letter to oppose that. Last Thursday, the Washington Senate cleared two hurdles that had dogged them for years, finally approving a low-carbon clean fuels standard and leveling a price on carbon emissions
Rapid transit help could be on the way for Seattle. House Bill 1304, a bill to enable local rapid transit funding, has its first hearing scheduled on Tuesday, February 9th in the House Local Government Committee. Shaun Kuo covered the proposal when author Representative David Hackney (D-11th Legislative District) first
A long term goal of many Seattle bike advocates has been a safe, all ages, all abilities bike route through Southeast Seattle. Two projects slated to open in 2023 are working their way through the process and poised to begin making that vision a reality: the Beacon Hill Bike Route
Complete the survey by May 17th and share your feedback on a I-5 freeway lid proposed between Wallingford and the University District. It may seem unimaginable now, but just over 63 years ago, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) established a special office to acquire the land that would
Today, Seattle Subway launched a campaign to pressure state legislators to fund transit and undo the damage that Tim Eyman did by passing “$30 car tabs” via Initiative 976. Use this Action Network tool to make it quick and easy to email Governor Jay Inslee and your respective state legislators.
The Seattle budget process is chugging along with another public comment session tomorrow Wednesday at 3:30pm. Soon Seattle City Council will be making their final tweaks to the Mayor’s budget. Now is the time to comment or testify at City Hall. The six-billion-dollar budget is a daunting document
At long last, this is (probably) your last chance to comment on the Ballard and West Seattle Sound Transit 3 (ST3) alternatives before options are selected and sent forward to the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process. The recently released alternatives were covered in The Urbanist last week and the deadline
Over the next 30 years, the Central Puget Sound Region is slated to grow by more than 1.8 million residents and 1.2 million jobs. The Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) is well underway in the planning process guiding how growth should be apportioned through 2050. In February, the
In February, you’ve got two big opportunities to make Seattle more affordable. If you’ve been thinking about getting into local politics but don’t really know where to begin, there are two public hearings in February that are great opportunities to make your voice heard. The two hearings
Below is your weekly rundown of actions you can take to get involved and make a difference: * Let Bellevue Know How To Make Downtown Safer For People On Bikes: Bellevue will be doing a major redesign to accommodate people biking and they’re taking public comment right now. * Apply For
This is The Urbanist’s first crack at summarizing open public comment period. Each week we’ll provide a list of ongoing policy that is open to public comment and your job is to click through each one and tell the city what you want. If we’ve missed any,