Category Archives: Landscape

CascadiaCast Episode 2: Cory Crocker

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Scott Bonjukian

This week I’m joined by Cory Crocker, an active University District resident who helps head up U District Square. The group is working to secure parks and open space amenities as the neighborhood rapidly grows and faces a population boom with … Continue reading →

Posted in CascadiaCast, Density, Housing, Land Use, Parks, Public Space, Transportation | Tagged Cory Crocker, density, eis, environmental impact statement, forum, height, housing, model, open space, Partnership, plans, plaza, public space, square, streetscape, U-District, university district, upzone, vision | Leave a comment

Open Letter: Build a Green Lake Supertrail

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Scott Bonjukian

Members of Seattle City Council and Parks Superintendent Christopher Williams, I write to you with sincere concern for the well being of my fellow citizens using the three mile long trail around Green Lake Park. It is consistently overcrowded, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Biking, Editorial, Parks, Transportation, Walking | Tagged bicycle, bike, biking, Green Lake, letter, park, path, satire, Seattle, supertrail, trail, walking | 4 Comments

Mayor Murray Remarks on Seattle’s Achievements and Challenges

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Scott Bonjukian

In his annual address Seattle Mayor Ed Murray remarked on the city’s significant progress towards some of its goals and made a number of announcements about initiatives to pick up the pace on others. He also spoke at length about … Continue reading →

Posted in Event Writeup, Government, Housing, Parks, Sustainability, Transportation | Tagged address, affordability, City Council, City of Seattle, data, economic, Ed Murray, education, equity, highlights, housing, initiatives, jobs, main points, Mayor Murray, opportunity, people, Planning, police reforms, population growth, recap, Seattle, social, speech, State of the City, summary, summits, transparency, transportaiton | 1 Comment

CascadiaCast Episode 1: Ben Schiendelman

Posted on February 17, 2015 by Scott Bonjukian

I’m excited to announce the start of a new podcast series for fellow urbanists in the Pacific Northwest, titled CascadiaCast. I’ll be sitting down with fellow planners, activists, government officials, and other interesting people to discuss the issues that matter … Continue reading →

Posted in Government, Housing, Land Use, Landscape, Sustainability, Transportation | Tagged affordability, Ben Schiendelman, CascadiaCast, climate change, development, funding, housing, Planning, politics, Seattle, Seattle Subway, Seattle Transit Blog, sound transit, sprawl, state, The Northwest Urbanist Podcast, The Urbanist, transit, vote, Washington | 3 Comments

Civic Indicators Highlight Seattle’s Progress, Challenges

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Scott Bonjukian

Correction: The SSNAP report has been updated to correct statistics on where Seattle residents work. 38.2 percent of Seattle’s employed residents work outside of the city, not 62 percent. A new report by consulting firm Steinbrueck Urban Strategies, headed up … Continue reading →

Posted in Demographics, Density, Energy, Event Writeup, Food, Housing, Land Use, Parks, Policy, Resources, Schools, Transportation, Water | Tagged access, analysis, budget, capital facilities, City Council, comprehensive plan, electricty, funding, Growth Management Act, historic preservation, infrastructure, neighborhood plan, neighborhoods, parks, performance, Peter, policy, report, ridership, Seattle, Seattle 2035, Seattle Sustainable Neighborhoods Asessement Project, SSNAP, Steinbrueck, strategy, sustainability, transit, urban village, waste, water | 5 Comments

The 12th Man Lives On

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Scott Bonjukian

I don’t really care for football. In fact, I take issue with its non-profit status and insistence on public financing for private stadiums. But I do appreciate its contribution to a community spirit that has enlivened Seattle and the entire … Continue reading →

Posted in Editorial, Energy, Landscape, Resources, Sustainability, Transportation, Water | Tagged 12th Man, activism, attitude, British Columbia, Cascadia, civics, community, culture, geography, identity, Oregon, Pacific Northwest, people, Portland, Seahawks, Seattle, sense of place, spirit, Super Bowl, Vancouver, Washington | 2 Comments

The Metro Neighborhood: A Renewed Vision for Downtown Seattle

Posted on December 26, 2014 by Scott Bonjukian

The University of Washington (UW) is one of downtown Seattle’s largest landowners, but you wouldn’t know it just by being there. The university controls about eleven acres of prime real estate where the original campus was founded in 1861, known … Continue reading →

Posted in Editorial, Housing, Land Use, Mixed Use, Parks, Public Space, Schools, Sustainability, Transportation | Tagged alleys, Cobb Building, Department of Urban Design and Planning, downtown, Fairmont Olympic Hotel, ideas, Metro Tract, Metropolitan, office, ownership, parks, plaza, proposal, public space, Rainier Square, Rainier Tower, real estate, redevelopment, residential, retail, Skinner Building, streets, Tract, UNICO, university of washington, uw, Wright Runstad | 6 Comments

The Alaskan Way Viaduct Must Come Down

Posted on December 18, 2014 by Scott Bonjukian

A group of Seattle residents called Park My Viaduct is campaigning to convert the city’s waterfront freeway into a linear park, akin to New York’s High Line. They are proposing to save 14 blocks of the concrete double-decked structure, put … Continue reading →

Posted in Megaprojects, Parks, Public Space, Transportation | Tagged Alaskan Way Viaduct, analysis, construction, criticism, earthquake, High Line, Highway 99, idea, keep, New York, Nisqually, park, Park My Viaduct, parks, participation, plan, preservation, preserve, proposal, public, replacement, seismic, tunnel, waterfront, WSDOT | 14 Comments

U-District Open Space Forum Wraps Up

Posted on December 5, 2014 by Scott Bonjukian

The third and final public meeting on an update to the U-District neighborhood’s park plan was held on Wednesday night. Like the first meeting (I missed the second), the event was well attended and organized. Here, city staff and their … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing, Land Use, Parks, Policy, Public Space, Transportation | Tagged 12th Avenue, 15th Avenue, 42nd Street, 43rd Street, Brooklyn Avenue, department of planning and development, DOT, DPD, farmer's market, festival street, framework, green streets, growth, light rail, MAKERS, meeting, neighborhood, open space, Open Space Forum, parks, participation, Partnership, plan, public, square, station, street, The Ave, transit, transportation, U-District, university of washington, upzone, urban design, zoning | 11 Comments

Climate Change in the Pacific Northwest

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Scott Bonjukian

The Pacific Northwest is already being impacted by climate change, according to the latest National Climate Assessment (NCA). The consequences for the region’s economy and natural resources are significant. Washington, Oregon, and Idaho can expect reduced snowpack for water supplies, … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Climate, Energy, Food, Government, Resources, Water | Tagged adaptation, agriculture, British Columbia, Cliff Mass, climate change, fire, floods, Idaho, mitigation, ocean acidification, Oregon, Pacific Northwest, Planning, Puget Sound, resiliency, sea level rise, Seattle, seattle times, Washington, water, weather, wildfire | 1 Comment