Write For Us
At The Urbanist we are committed to covering a diverse array of stories related to our mission of improving cities and quality of life. That’s why we actively promote guest contributions. A lot of our most interesting content comes from readers like you. No, not SEO companies, AI bots, or product promoters — actual readers.
We publish many different forms of pieces related to our mission of improving cities and quality of life through the tradition of advocacy journalism. While we are based in Seattle and focus the majority of our coverage on the Puget Sound area, we are open to publishing work that extends beyond that geographic area in instances where the topic aligns well with our vision and values.
How to Pitch Us
We encourage writers to contact our editors with a brief article description to get feedback before jumping in too deep. If we think the proposed article is a good fit, we will work with you to get it edited and published with your name in the byline.
Here are some examples of the specific themes we are seeking pitches on at this time.
Op-eds: Do you have an issue or topic you feel passionately about? Are you seeking to inspire change or raise awareness about challenges facing today’s cities? Op-eds are one of the primary ways in which readers share work and we publish dozens of them every year.
Example: We Need to Try Everything But Build a New Airport
Spotlight on Solutions: These articles or essays highlight the work of organizations and individuals who are actively working to improve our cities and offer readers a strong dose of positivity and inspiration. Engaging descriptions of forward-thinking public policy are also welcome here.
Examples: Reopen Tacoma’s Broadway to People; Let’s Tee Off for Housing
Urbanism 101: Articles that use accessible language and vivid examples to break down urban planning and policy concepts and terminology for a general readership.
Example: Urbanism 101: What is an EcoDistrict?
Student Showcase: Rather than let your term project or thesis get dusty in (digital) archives, share it with an engaged community of readers. We can work with you to transform academic work in urban planning, public policy, public health, environmental studies, and more into an engaging article that communicates with a broad audience.
Example: Green Roofs Provide Many Benefits as Cities Densify
Community Profile: Profiles of neighborhoods or cities that readers of The Urbanist should learn about, especially those not previously featured. These should highlight what makes a community unique and notable for urbanists.
Example: Meet Skyway: Seattle’s Unincorporated Neighbor to the South
Photo Essays: Photo-driven stories that share observations about cities, policies, and society from daily life or travels, offering compelling insights and perspectives related to our areas of coverage.
Example: Exploring Mountain Lion Urbanism in Boise
Why I’m an Urbanist: Personal narratives that explore what it means to identify as an urbanist, reflecting the diverse spectrum of people who use that label.
Example: Why I’m an Urbanist: Scott Bonjukian
As a small nonprofit organization, volunteer contributors are essential to the ongoing success of our publication. Each article contribution by a volunteer furthers our advocacy work and is greatly appreciated. The op-eds and narrative articles we publish are submitted by volunteer writers. If you’re looking to volunteer as a photographer, graphic designer, organizer, event planner, etc., we also want to hear from you. Drop us a line!
For original reporting using primary sources, we have a limited budget to invest in paying freelance writers. If you are seeking compensation for a reported article, be sure to specify this in your pitch. We currently use a tiered system for compensating writers in which depth of research, originality of sources, and timeliness are all taken into consideration. Deeply reported long articles could earn as much as $400 in our current compensation system.
Feeling inspired? Reach out to us at editor [at] theurbanist.org. Learn more detailed information about what we are looking for in submissions in our writing guidelines. Following them will increase the chances we accept your article for publishing.