Seattle

AI generated image of a greenway and transit corridor.

Seattle Releases Draft 20-Year Transportation Plan

The draft Seattle Transportation Plan proposes an ambitious agenda for the next 20 years of transportation planning in the city of Seattle.

August 30, 2023 - The Urbanist

A map of a planned high-speed rail connecting Portland to Seattle and Vancouver.

Cascadia High-Speed Rail Corridor Seeking Federal Funding

The state of Washington is hoping federal infrastructure funding can pay for $198 million of the $348 million necessary to plan the Cascadia High-Speed Rail project.

August 23, 2023 - The Seattle Times

Traffic light on overhead pole with traffic camera and "Photo Enforced" sign

Seattle To Expand Traffic Camera Program

The new cameras are designed to reduce travel time for buses and limit speeding at dangerous intersections.

August 16, 2023 - The Urbanist

White Seattle streetcar at mid-street stop with four-story brick building in background

Feasibility Study for Proposed Seattle Streetcar Loses Funding

The $1 million cut doesn’t bode well for the beleaguered project, which some city councilmembers see as redundant and overpriced.

August 9, 2023 - The Seattle Times

View of Interstate 5 with light traffic and downtown Seattle skyline in background

Seattle Quietly Unveils New Interstate Lane

The Washington Department of Transportation expanded part of I-5 in hopes of reducing a common traffic bottleneck.

August 2, 2023 - The Seattle Times

Teal and blue two-story houses in Seattle's historic Queen Anne neighborhood

Opinion: Form-Based Codes Could Harm Seattle’s Housing Affordability

Form-based zoning codes can encourage mixed-use development and walkable neighborhoods, but focusing too much on aesthetic elements can drive up the cost of housing.

July 27, 2023 - The Urbanist

Ai generated image of greenway with transit line adjacent

AI and Downtown Recovery: Missing the Mark in Seattle?

In his fourth GeekWire article on downtown recovery, Chuck Wolfe reviews the use of AI imagery in a section of the Seattle Downtown Activation Plan and suggests how it may have missed the mark.

July 20, 2023 - GeekWire

Tents put up by unhoused people outside of Seattle's baseball stadium

Seattle Sweep of Unhoused Encampments Draws Criticism

The city denies that the timing of clearing a camp populated by unhoused residents was related to the upcoming MLB All-Star Game.

July 12, 2023 - The Seattle Times

Bowery

Opinion: Lower Rents Will Give Downtown Spaces Back to the ‘Weirdos’

Introducing the “CBGB theory of city planning.”

July 5, 2023 - Publicola

Close-up of gloved hand holding blue Orca transit card with blue and yellow bus in background

King County Metro to Cut Bus Service

With hundreds of buses out of service and a mechanic shortage delaying repairs and maintenance, Seattle area bus riders will see significantly reduced service this summer.

July 4, 2023 - The Seattle Times

Black and white photo of Pike Place Market entrance in Seattle with "PUBLIC MARKET" and "Meet the producer" signs

Revisiting ‘Third Places’ as a Pandemic Recovery Tool

In Chuck Wolfe's latest piece on downtown recovery for GeekWire, he proposes revisiting a multifaceted ‘third place’ agenda as a focus for downtown recovery.

June 22, 2023 - GeekWire

Sound Transit train

Sound Transit Reveals Early 2024 Service Plans

Seattle’s transit agency is looking to maximize its limited resources as it continues to grapple with staffing shortages and supply chain issues across the region.

May 31, 2023 - The Urbanist

View from under track of Seattle monorail passing under Frank Gehry-designed Museum of Pop Culture with Space Needle in background

‘The Power of the Kraken:’ Seattle Monorail Ridership Spikes for Hockey Games

Seattle’s new professional hockey team is drawing legions of enthusiastic fans. Around a quarter of them are taking public transit, such as the city’s often-maligned monorail, to games.

May 25, 2023 - The Seattle Times

Rendering of pedestrian and bike bridge over multilane road

Seattle Area to Get Three New Pedestrian Bridges

Three major connection projects are slated to open in the next year, bringing a comprehensive regional bikeway network one step closer to reality.

May 16, 2023 - The Urbanist

Google Street View looking up at The Rise on Madison high-rise apartment building under construction in Seattle, Washington.

Two New Affordable Housing Communities Open in Seattle

The opening of Blake House marks the city’s first high-rise affordable housing project in half a century.

May 14, 2023 - Puget Sound Business Journal

Seattle skyline panorama seen from Kerry Park at sunset in golden evening light with Mount Rainier in the background, Washington State, United States of America

Washington Cities Balance Housing Development and Tree Canopy

Cities like Seattle and Bellingham are working to increase housing density while also preserving urban trees and green spaces.

May 3, 2023 - The Urbanist

Seattle, Washington

The City Beyond Amazon's ‘Great Return’

In GeekWire, Chuck Wolfe explains how, as the Amazon (and other) “Great Returns” to the office unfold, it's essential to dig deeper.

May 2, 2023 - GeekWire

Curvy street lined with houses in Issaquah Highlands outside Seattle, Washington

Wealthy Washington Neighborhoods Could Remain Untouched by Zoning Reforms

Neighborhoods with preexisting internal contracts are exempted from new legislation requiring all Washington cities to permit duplexes and other ‘missing middle housing.’

April 26, 2023 - The Seattle Times

Rainbow painted crosswalk next to green painted bike lane on Seattle, Washington street

Poorly Timed Arrival for Seattle’s Long-Awaited Transportation Fee

A proposed transportation impact fee, years in the making, is stirring a controversy at a time of declining permitting and construction activity in the city of Seattle.

April 24, 2023 - The Urbanist

People walking on a sidewalk in front of the Seattle Art Museum, which have the hammering man and a skyscraper in the background, Washington, USA

Seattle Downtown Plan Focuses on Public Safety, Programming

The mayor issued a 12-point plan for improving safety, developing services for people struggling with addiction, and revitalizing downtown spaces.

April 18, 2023 - Crosscut

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