Tag Archives: public

Public Risks Being Left Behind as Downtown Seattle Land Runs Out

“Buy land, they’re not making it anymore.” – Mark Twain As Seattle’s development boom continues without any sign of stopping, the city is rapidly approaching a point where Downtown is completely built out and there is no land left to … Continue reading

Posted in Housing, Land Use, Policy, Public Space, Schools | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Seattle Convention Center Hosting Public Benefit Event December 7

The next phase of the Washington State Convention Center (WSCC) is being planned, and associated with it may be millions of dollars in discretionary public benefit funding. Occupying four city blocks, the WSCC Addition project will transform a long-neglected corner … Continue reading

Posted in Land Use, Lid I-5, Megaprojects, Public Participation, Public Space, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lid I-5 Charrette Set for May 7

The Lid I-5 campaign is kicking into high gear with its first major public event scheduled for May 7 at Capitol Hill Housing. The event is open to the public, and people are encouraged to reach out to friends and … Continue reading

Posted in Editorial, Event Writeup, Lid I-5 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Efficiency, Equity Discussed at Forum on Seattle’s Transportation Congestion

On Thursday night the University of Washington hosted a lively panel discussion on Seattle’s infamous traffic woes. Organized by The Seattle Times, four experts on transportation debated various solutions for agonizing commutes and how emerging technology will change the way … Continue reading

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How Seattle’s Mandatory Affordable Housing Program Will Work

The Seattle City Council is considering a mandatory affordable housing program linked to commercial developments. The program is no longer just a commercial “linkage fee” (otherwise known as an “impact fee” in Washington state), and now consists of two options: developers … Continue reading

Posted in Commercial, Housing, Land Use, Policy, Residential | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

King County Metro Launches Broad Planning Effort

On Tuesday night King County Metro kicked off public outreach for a Long Range Plan that will outline the future of public transportation in the Seattle region. It’s the next in a series of past plans that guide the agency’s … Continue reading

Posted in Buses, Government, Land Use, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Seattle Set to Increase Car Share Limits

On Tuesday the Seattle City Council transportation committee voted to approve an increase in the number of free-floating car share permits and operators. This would primarily benefit car2go, the German company whose blue-and-white mini cars are rented on a per … Continue reading

Posted in Cars, Policy, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Alaskan Way Viaduct Must Come Down

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

U-District Open Space Forum Wraps Up

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 , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

The Problematic Proposal for a Seattle Gondola

Hal and Ken Griffith, the father and son owners of Pier 57 and the waterfront Ferris wheel, spoke to my class this week about their proposal for a short gondola system in downtown Seattle. As mentioned in a previous post, … Continue reading

Posted in Government, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments