Weekly Digest: March 14th - March 21st, 2022
Here's a selection of The Urbanist's most compelling articles from the past week. You can catch up on other recent articles directly on our online magazine or never miss a story by adding us to your RSS feeds.
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Featured Articles
Grand Street Commons on Course to Bring 700 Homes Near Judkins Park Light Rail Station in 2023
A partnership between developer Lake Union Partners and nonprofit Mt. Baker Housing is bringing 700 homes to a previously environmentally contaminated site on Rainier Avenue S near the future Judkins Park Link light rail station. Grand Street Commons, as the development is known, will also include over 60,000 square feet of retail and office space, a public plaza with a water feature, and some pedestrian improvements on one of Seattle’s busiest and most dangerous streets. Read
Strong Student Support Advances Police Alternatives in the U District
Last week, the University of Washington Graduate and Professional Student Senate voted in favor of creating an unarmed community response system for non-violent calls in the U District, the fast-growing and diverse neighborhood near the university campus. The legislation passed by an overwhelming majority (18 in favor, 3 opposed, and 2 abstaining), breathing momentum into a pilot program that could be operational in less than one year. Read
The Case Against Approval Voting -- And for Real Democracy in Seattle
A planned initiative from Seattle Approves would like us to stop asking voters who they want representing them and instead ask voters to approve the candidates who they would tolerate representing them. According to their website this “small change,” would lead to “representative” elections. This is demonstrably not true — but their small tweak to our system could suppress the voting power of communities of color. Read
Concrete Could Flow for West Seattle Bridge and Light Rail Projects as Teamsters Offer to Return to Work
Last night, Teamster 174 Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks announced an offer to resume to work on behalf of striking concrete drivers at three companies: Cadman Seattle, Lehigh Cement, and Salmon Bay Sand & Gravel. The offer would allow work to go ahead on West Seattle Bridge repairs, the $1.9 billion Washington State Convention Center, and several Link light rail extensions across the region. Read
Bellevue Council Update: Juneteenth Holiday, Regional Affordable Housing Funds, and Eviction Resolution
Discussions at this week’s Bellevue City Council meeting centered around three topics: reviewing Juneteenth as a paid holiday for city staff, approving funding allocations for A Regional Coalition on Housing, and providing comments on the city’s Conflict Resolution Center and their program to mediate landlord-tenant repayment plans. Read
Final Segment of Alaskan Way Bike Trail Being Planned with Double Street Crossing
Earlier this year, we reported on a newly opened short segment of waterfront bike trail near Colman Dock, the first piece of the long-planned waterfront bike connection. The new stretch between King Street and Yesler Way will be the last one to open to riders for quite a while, with the rest of the trail not slated to open until the rest of the waterfront promenade is finished in early 2024. Read
Safety and Equity Must Guide Seattle Transportation Plan
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is creating one transportation plan to rule its lesser modal plans, and that spells trouble for the Bike Master Plan and for eliminating fatal crashes. Before the agency gets ahead of itself, it must focus the process around safety outcomes and a long-term vision for a decarbonized city rather than bureaucratic expedience. The Urbanist joins the call from Seattle Neighborhood Greenways and Cascade Bicycle Club urging the city to focus the plan on safety and connectivity for all. Read
Ruth Lipscomb: Join Me in Supporting The Urbanist
As the newest board member of the Urbanist, I’d like to share why I’m a supporter and invite you to join me by making a meaningful donation of your own. I can’t overstate the value of local reporting. Most of us want information on the issues that affect our region’s livability and sustainability; we need a solid base of understanding to engage as residents and as voters. The Urbanist provides me with timely articles by brainy writers who analyze what’s happening and show me why it’s important. They unwind complex ideas and explore long-term implications. And they do it with style and humor. Read
The Urbanist Podcast: Seattle Turns in a Terrible Scorecard on Golf Lands
Hello listeners! In this episode, reporter Ray Dubicki and I talk about golf: a sport that continues to leave a large footprint on American cities, despite waning popularity. The topic has taken on added significance in Seattle in recent years for a few reasons, most notably because of the presence of Jackson Park, a 27 hole golf course and driving range, that will be walking distance to two Link light rail stations in the near future. But there is a lot more to learn about how golf impacts land use, taxes, etc., so be sure to tune into the full episode. Read
Is Seattle a $20 Lunch Town?
As we emerge from pandemic and look towards returning to offices, a question starts to come up. “What’s for lunch?” A recent impromptu survey of several downtown Seattle restaurants suggests it’s very difficult to get out without forking over around $20 a person. The overloaded half pastrami and soup at Market House Meats on Howell is $16 ($5 beverage from elsewhere localish). Lunch for three folks of a nacho plate and two fish burritos plus beverages at Blue Water Taco Grill in Seattle Center hit $60. The Massaman curry at Kati Vegan Thai in Cascade is $17 and worth it. (The total bill was a bit higher because the fantastic and delightfully spicy cauliflower bombs got involved.) Read
SDOT Selects 15th Avenue S for North Beacon Hill Protected Bike Lane
After well over a year of outreach on several proposed options, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has selected 15th Avenue S as the route where it will install a protected bike lane in 2023 as a first step toward installing a safe bike route throughout Beacon Hill. The selection was finalized on March 1, according to records obtained by The Urbanist, and the department will start additional outreach with residents along the corridor between the Jose Rizal Bridge and Beacon Avenue S as soon as today. Read
Washington Can't Wait 2022 Legislative Wrap Up
In the blink of an eye, the 2022 WA Legislative Session has come and gone. Despite the devastating, 11th hour death of HB 1099, our bill with Rep. Davina Duerr (D-Bothell) to add climate change planning to the GMA, this was still one of Futurewise’s most successful legislative sessions of all time. Although we still have work to do to ensure that vital climate planning requirements are incorporated into the comprehensive plans of the counties and cities with 2024 updates around the corner, there is so much worth celebrating as we reflect back on this session. So, let’s take a moment to review what went down. Read
Downtown Seattle Declares Itself Resurgent at Annual Gala
The theme was resurgence at the Downtown Seattle Association’s annual State of Downtown event yesterday. With two years of pandemic suffering and emergency public health measures seemingly behind us, Seattle’s economic leaders predicted Downtown would come roaring back. The annual economic report from the Downtown Seattle Association (DSA) backed that assertion up with statistics, as did keynote speaker Richard Florida, author of the Rise of the Creative Class, with economic theory and meditations from a national perspective. Read
Transpo Notes: Everett Link, SEA's C Concourse Expansion, and ST's Fare Strategy
This week’s Transpo Notes roundup covers King County Metro’s service change, Everett Link extension options, expansion of facilities at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, additional federal funding for Sound Transit’s I-405 Stride bus line, and Sound Transit’s fare strategy process. Read
Surface Highway Undermines Seattle's Waterfront Park
The Seattle Times editorial board recently published a take on the Seattle Waterfront, and, while the Blethen gang being wrong isn’t news, it’s also a great opportunity to talk about what actually makes a great street and public space. Spoiler: It’s not nine lanes of traffic. But that’s what parts of the new Alaskan Way Boulevard got. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) tore down its hulking waterfront highway viaduct only to place just as many lanes at ground level — and actually more south of Columbia Street, where the road turns into a giant queuing zone for the Seattle Ferry Terminal. Read
Housing for Homeless Coming to the Eastside Despite Opposition
Despite public perception, our region’s homelessness crisis affects our Eastside communities and is not just a Seattle problem. Supportive services, including permanent supportive housing and transitional housing, are part of a suite of proven solutions, but recent implementations on the Eastside have faced undue pushback from angry residents. Providers and experts provide their insights into the opposition and why these facilities are crucial parts of addressing homelessness. Read
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