Alex

“Planting suitable wetland species alongside rivers and roof tops helps delay surface water runoff by up to 90%…In the Netherlands, there are hundreds of green roofs on bus stops…Each square metre green of roof cover absorbs 20 litres of water, reducing how much water enters the drains.”

The funny thing about residential zoning though is, put that business in a car and suddenly it's OK!

Services that go to someone's house, gig work food delivery and ride apps, etc are all businesses operating in residential zones, but since they're on wheels, it gets around local zoning.

After housing, this is the next big zoning reform: the right to do business. Always found it odd that the USA, supposedly the land of the free market, makes it the hard if not outright illegal to open a business in most places.

Like many other planning failures, this one's also rooted in racism.

A lot of residential only zoning in California traces back to anti Chinese laundry services and general anti saloon politics.

Erica and @publicola.bsky.social ‘s coverage is great and so comprehensive and informed (and informative) and exactly the type of local media we should all support!

Cut and cover 👀🥰🤗

SHALLOWER STATIONS PLEASE please please please please

Are you my Evergreen State neighbor? Have you sent a letter to your reps in Olympia asking them to regulate data centers—and strengthen the bill? What are you waiting for? Everybody's doing it...

hey seattle comp plan nerds!

when OPCD was working on early phase of comp plan there was outreach and input on housing typologies (eg apartment, house, stacked flat, 6plex) - does anyone know where to find this document?

@theurbanist.org @sharethecities.bsky.social

We got so lucky!!!!

Yes all of this. Important to keep the overall power dynamics and history in mind through all of this

Yeah i wish that there was an easy answer but I tend to agree with your positioning here.

I think being able to handle conflict in a way that allows for building empathy and relationships and community is really challenging and definitely takes practice and discussion and discomfort.

I'm always amazed at the economic vitality of Utrecht: Businesses are thriving, cafes are full, streets are clean, buses run on time.

The main street through town holds buses, service vehicles, and people -- walking, on bike & cargo bikes.

Want a city that works? Invest in people, not their cars.

A great and enduring shame of my hometown: The Tacoma Solution. Commemorated now with a beautiful traditional Chinese garden, it seemed like we were truly moving forward. It’s gutting to see it all happening again.

🚨 SEATTLE RENTERS SURVEY EXTENDED!!! 🚨

☑️ NOW THRU FRIDAY, FEB. 20 🗳️

🌐 LINK IN BIO or YOURCITYSEATTLE.ORG 🌐

👯‍♂️ Tag your friends!
🥰 Tag your family!
✊ Tag your neighbors!
🤡 Don't tag your landlord!

#THISISYOURCITY
#seattle #renters #seattlewa

The problem with just advocating for ICE to leave Minnesota but not to dismantle it entirely is that they are capable of doing this again, any time, anywhere.

Don’t advocate for the harm to continue elsewhere. Advocate for the harm to end everywhere forever.

Smol brown long-haired chihuahua pom mix laying on a bunched up white chunky knit blanket on a tufted navy blue leather club style chair. She’s snoozing with her legs in a cute position

MOUSE UPDATE:

The flip side: if you prioritize the comfort and allow perspectives of landlords and land-owners in a space, who does that exclude and make uncomfortable and unwelcome?

(see: zoning and things like light rail, sorry I will probably never support rolling back renter protections but I’m also not a landlord and don’t plan on rent seeking for my future I’d rather just have a government pension and universal healthcare lol)

should I be meaner to landlords in person or is it worthwhile to try to manage conflict and build coalition on reform where we agree

I’m also still thinking about a conversation last night with someone who is generally anti-government and anti-tax who wanted examples of the government lowering taxes

LOL THE GOVERNMENT CUTS TAXES FOR THE WEALTHY ALLLLLLL THE TIME

(yes this person had access to substantial generational wealth)

Oh nothing, just thinking about Seattle City Councilmember Dionne Foster showing up to a Social Housing event on a bike 🚲🌇🌳

This is never the history that all of our historic preservation boards are trying to uplift and sustain into the future.

If you live in Seattle, 140 years ago to the month in Feb 1886, a mob started forcibly rounding up and violently deporting Chinese migrants. This is immediately after a similar mob did the same in Tacoma a few month before.

Remind you of anything?

www.historylink.org/File/2745

I was (mostly) joking in this post, but if you care about things like pedestrianization of our public right of way, you should definitely follow folks like @typewriteralley.bsky.social and @qagggy.bsky.social who are both knowledgeable and diligent about talking about this sort of thing!!!!

If you’re a WA resident you should follow @staterepjuliareed.bsky.social even if you’re not in her district.

Not only is she an excellent legislator (seriously her legislative record is top notch!) , but she consistently talks about the structures of #waleg in a really clear and approachable way!!!

It probably going to take some time for the mayor’s office to build up and recruit a strong bench of candidates for all of the various commissions and boards.

Not to mention making sure we have the right resources in place to set new board members up to be successful in board and oversight roles.

I’m hoping the only real barriers end up being retractable bollards 🤞🤞🤞

Yeah long term power building and community organizing is probably the right way forward here, even if it’s not as immediately satisfying

I hope we’re going to see a lot of that from this administration — though there certainly are a few examples of the mayor’s office moving a bit quicker