Push The Needle
@pushtheneedle.bsky.social
the closer we are physically, the closer we are socially.
Pinned
we shouldn’t divide our cities like TV dinners with zoning. we should plan cities like salads and mix everything up
6-12 months is too slow. The rest of the plan citywide should be done by July or we are wasting time.
I also don’t want to hear about the state TOD bill. This is Seattle, not the suburbs, we can exceed the proposed plan and not worry about what’s passed.
“Fingers crossed”
I also don’t want to hear about the state TOD bill. This is Seattle, not the suburbs, we can exceed the proposed plan and not worry about what’s passed.
“Fingers crossed”
Seattle planning nerds: earlier today, OPCD director Rico Quirindongo broke down what's happening right now in the transition between administrations with the outstanding work on the Comp Plan, in a convo with the planning commission.
I transcribed his comments:
I transcribed his comments:
![So that's what you see as a three phased approach: first six months of this year, centers and corridors legislation, latter six months of the year, SEIS, upzones in regional centers and some of our centers, and then in ‘27 looking at 1491 TOD and transit corridors.
Our desire, fingers crossed, would be that we pass centers and corridors legislation by the middle of the year, and then with a fully adopted Comp Plan, including the zoning legislation, we would do our first amendment to the new Comp Plan, which would be four subarea plans [Downtown, Northgate, Capitol Hill/First Hill, and the two manufacturing industrial centers (MICs)].
So that's the plan, and we'll keep you in the loop.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:6vatl6lhsv3ninhf7n4ssria/bafkreiedpgul76ieehet43ot2kgn2mcr4sbdjykhif2j6tsndhbmr5gpqe@jpeg)
January 9, 2026 at 4:18 PM
6-12 months is too slow. The rest of the plan citywide should be done by July or we are wasting time.
I also don’t want to hear about the state TOD bill. This is Seattle, not the suburbs, we can exceed the proposed plan and not worry about what’s passed.
“Fingers crossed”
I also don’t want to hear about the state TOD bill. This is Seattle, not the suburbs, we can exceed the proposed plan and not worry about what’s passed.
“Fingers crossed”
Reposted by Push The Needle
The anti-ICE protest and vigil for Renee Hood and all of the other known and unknown victims of ICE on the Seattle waterfront tonight.
January 9, 2026 at 4:50 AM
The anti-ICE protest and vigil for Renee Hood and all of the other known and unknown victims of ICE on the Seattle waterfront tonight.
Reposted by Push The Needle
Today at the @sound-transit.bsky.social System Expansion Committee, Board Vice Chair Claudia Balducci announced the Crosslake Connection — the 2 Line across Lake Washington and the I‑90 floating bridge — has entered pre‑revenue operations. Test trains are running daily. 1/6
January 9, 2026 at 12:45 AM
Today at the @sound-transit.bsky.social System Expansion Committee, Board Vice Chair Claudia Balducci announced the Crosslake Connection — the 2 Line across Lake Washington and the I‑90 floating bridge — has entered pre‑revenue operations. Test trains are running daily. 1/6
Republicans tackling big affordability issues here like the 12 people in the state who have to pay a tax on private jets
Three Republicans have filed a bill in #waleg which appears to repeal the tax on private jets that Democrats passed last year. They even propose doing it as an "emergency," so it can be repealed immediately upon passage.
Read it: app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/...
Read it: app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/...
January 9, 2026 at 4:46 AM
Republicans tackling big affordability issues here like the 12 people in the state who have to pay a tax on private jets
Reposted by Push The Needle
unless corridor zoning looks like this... why bother
January 9, 2026 at 3:41 AM
unless corridor zoning looks like this... why bother
Seattle City Councilmember Eddie Lin is great
Yesterday’s killing of Minneapolis mother Renee Nicole Good proves the dangers of Trump’s campaign of terror via ICE across our country.
ICE officers appear to not only be acting with impunity, but the explicit approval and support of the president and his administration.
ICE officers appear to not only be acting with impunity, but the explicit approval and support of the president and his administration.
January 9, 2026 at 3:37 AM
Seattle City Councilmember Eddie Lin is great
What an absolute joke Seattle City Councilmember Bob Kettle is.
I got this press release from CM Bob Kettle. What a joke. He’s fine with ICE’s mission, he just thinks they should be more professional about it. We need better leaders than this.
January 9, 2026 at 3:29 AM
What an absolute joke Seattle City Councilmember Bob Kettle is.
Reposted by Push The Needle
his name is Jonathan Ross and he shouldn't get a good night's sleep for the rest of his life www.startribune.com/ice-agent-wh...
Star Tribune identifies ICE agent who fatally shot woman in Minneapolis
Jonathan Ross was dragged in a separate incident last year by a fleeing driver, according to court records.
www.startribune.com
January 8, 2026 at 7:09 PM
his name is Jonathan Ross and he shouldn't get a good night's sleep for the rest of his life www.startribune.com/ice-agent-wh...
Reposted by Push The Needle
Yes, JD. Let’s ask them if they think a stay at home mom, avowed Christian, and widow of a veteran deserved to be shot in the face and left to bleed out in her own car after dropping her 6-year-old off at school, for the crime of looking out for her neighbors. Let’s ask everyone running for office.
January 8, 2026 at 8:27 PM
Yes, JD. Let’s ask them if they think a stay at home mom, avowed Christian, and widow of a veteran deserved to be shot in the face and left to bleed out in her own car after dropping her 6-year-old off at school, for the crime of looking out for her neighbors. Let’s ask everyone running for office.
Seattle should do this.
A golf course next to the Fraser River in northeast Metro Vancouver will be transformed into a public park with sport and playing fields.
It is part of the City of Maple Ridge's strategy to build a new major aquatic & community centre. #vanpoli #vanre
dailyhive.com/vancouver/ma...
It is part of the City of Maple Ridge's strategy to build a new major aquatic & community centre. #vanpoli #vanre
dailyhive.com/vancouver/ma...
Metro Vancouver golf course to become a park as new aquatic centre advances | Urbanized
Maple Ridge Golf Course will be transformed into a public park with outdoor recreational uses, as part of a broader new aquatic centre plan.
dailyhive.com
January 8, 2026 at 10:25 PM
Seattle should do this.
Just wait until Waymo and Tesla executives find out how automated trains work. It’ll blow their minds
One thing's for sure: they're not financially viable. Each ride costs Alphabet more money than it brings in. Tesla's robotaxis still rely on in-car "AI Safety Operators." Waymos are overseen by remote supervisors (some as far away as the Philippines.) And they turn into bricks and block traffic...
January 8, 2026 at 5:16 PM
Just wait until Waymo and Tesla executives find out how automated trains work. It’ll blow their minds
Just remember more than half of us didn’t vote for this and 2/3rds of us don’t approve of the job he’s doing.
"Emperor Palpatine looking to ensure everyone hates him in the galaxy puts an American flag patch on cloak."
January 8, 2026 at 4:08 PM
Just remember more than half of us didn’t vote for this and 2/3rds of us don’t approve of the job he’s doing.
A great article on the future of ✈️SEA projects, airport transit mobility, and support for regional high speed rail. We really should run late trains for those airport employees to have commute options
www.theurbanist.org/2026/01/07/o...
www.theurbanist.org/2026/01/07/o...
Op-Ed: Sea-Tac Airport Transportation: Off the Road and Onto the Train » The Urbanist
# With 46,000 workers commuting to the Seattle-Tacoma Airport every day, Commissioner Toshiko Hasegawa shares the Port of Seattle's plans to improve transportation options and encourage transit use.
www.theurbanist.org
January 7, 2026 at 10:18 PM
A great article on the future of ✈️SEA projects, airport transit mobility, and support for regional high speed rail. We really should run late trains for those airport employees to have commute options
www.theurbanist.org/2026/01/07/o...
www.theurbanist.org/2026/01/07/o...
Stacked flats as the new starter home / downsizing home for retirees.
What is one trend nobody is discussing but will have a big effect on the next year or decade? It could be good or bad.
January 7, 2026 at 4:39 PM
Stacked flats as the new starter home / downsizing home for retirees.
I’m pretty sure I just rode a Link train in Bellevue that arrived from Seattle… 👀
January 7, 2026 at 4:22 PM
I’m pretty sure I just rode a Link train in Bellevue that arrived from Seattle… 👀
Which project should get the $360,000 impact fee? The $875,000 townhome or the $5.3 million dollar mansion? Why are planners like this?
In the topsy-turvy world of California housing policy, building six townhouses instead of a single McMansion will result in hundreds of thousands of "impact" fees that have nothing to do with impacts and "affordability" mandates that guarantee housing unaffordability.
January 7, 2026 at 2:14 PM
Which project should get the $360,000 impact fee? The $875,000 townhome or the $5.3 million dollar mansion? Why are planners like this?
It’s that last part. If you recognize it you have to get off X (ps stop calling it Twitter). They believe they’ve built their following which stayed there and are too egotistical to start over
one takeaway from the grok noncon porn thing is that much of the media just isn't interested in an issue they can't pretend has two sides or that doesn't give them an opportunity to shit on the left. Also it would be uncomfortable to justify remaining on twitter after acknowledging it
January 6, 2026 at 10:45 PM
It’s that last part. If you recognize it you have to get off X (ps stop calling it Twitter). They believe they’ve built their following which stayed there and are too egotistical to start over
Making buildings shorter and smaller was the intent of the 1916 NYC Zoning Code—the first citywide zoning code in the USA. Working as designed.
Zoning. (45th st edition)
The brand new building on the left (built as-of-right) is limited to a fraction the size of the one to the right.
Not what you want in a housing shortage.
The brand new building on the left (built as-of-right) is limited to a fraction the size of the one to the right.
Not what you want in a housing shortage.
January 6, 2026 at 10:17 PM
Making buildings shorter and smaller was the intent of the 1916 NYC Zoning Code—the first citywide zoning code in the USA. Working as designed.
This study has taken THREE YEARS to get to this point with 7 points of community feedback. This same department just rebuilt Highway-2 in a matter of 3 weeks after the catastrophic flood took it out. Show my your process and you show me where your priorities are
January 6, 2026 at 10:09 PM
This study has taken THREE YEARS to get to this point with 7 points of community feedback. This same department just rebuilt Highway-2 in a matter of 3 weeks after the catastrophic flood took it out. Show my your process and you show me where your priorities are
If I read this correctly, this project would be $200M-250M without property acquisition. That means doing this in Seattle for the 5 mile stretch in North Seattle would cost $150M-$175M. Seems like a no brainer @seattledot.bsky.social @mayorofseattle.bsky.social
www.theurbanist.org/2026/01/06/w...
www.theurbanist.org/2026/01/06/w...
WSDOT Eyes Major Transformation for SR 99 in Snohomish County » The Urbanist
# While the upgrades wouldn't happen all at once, and would only go in as other maintenance work occurs, the proposed concept sets a strong baseline for one of the state's most dangerous surface highw...
www.theurbanist.org
January 6, 2026 at 6:54 PM
If I read this correctly, this project would be $200M-250M without property acquisition. That means doing this in Seattle for the 5 mile stretch in North Seattle would cost $150M-$175M. Seems like a no brainer @seattledot.bsky.social @mayorofseattle.bsky.social
www.theurbanist.org/2026/01/06/w...
www.theurbanist.org/2026/01/06/w...
Reposted by Push The Needle
pro tip - buying land for more sustainable modes of transportation instead of reducing car lanes does not make economic sense, does not make for safer streets, and will not meet climate goals
it will make expensive stroads tho. and worse neighborhoods.
$50m per mile for sidewalks and bike lanes
it will make expensive stroads tho. and worse neighborhoods.
$50m per mile for sidewalks and bike lanes
NEW STORY // WSDOT Eyes Major Transformation for SR 99 in Snohomish County
Story by Ryan Packer via @theurbanist.org // 🔗 www.theurbanist.org/2026/01/06/w...
Story by Ryan Packer via @theurbanist.org // 🔗 www.theurbanist.org/2026/01/06/w...
WSDOT Eyes Major Transformation for SR 99 in Snohomish County » The Urbanist
# While the upgrades wouldn't happen all at once, and would only go in as other maintenance work occurs, the proposed concept sets a strong baseline for one of the state's most dangerous surface highw...
www.theurbanist.org
January 6, 2026 at 6:28 PM
pro tip - buying land for more sustainable modes of transportation instead of reducing car lanes does not make economic sense, does not make for safer streets, and will not meet climate goals
it will make expensive stroads tho. and worse neighborhoods.
$50m per mile for sidewalks and bike lanes
it will make expensive stroads tho. and worse neighborhoods.
$50m per mile for sidewalks and bike lanes
It’s great to see this proposed but with a price tag of $660M and $370M of that buying property to build the wide sidewalks and bike lanes, I doubt those will stick around. We should be starting in Seattle, where there is public support for something like this already
NEW STORY // WSDOT Eyes Major Transformation for SR 99 in Snohomish County
Story by Ryan Packer via @theurbanist.org // 🔗 www.theurbanist.org/2026/01/06/w...
Story by Ryan Packer via @theurbanist.org // 🔗 www.theurbanist.org/2026/01/06/w...
WSDOT Eyes Major Transformation for SR 99 in Snohomish County » The Urbanist
# While the upgrades wouldn't happen all at once, and would only go in as other maintenance work occurs, the proposed concept sets a strong baseline for one of the state's most dangerous surface highw...
www.theurbanist.org
January 6, 2026 at 6:23 PM
It’s great to see this proposed but with a price tag of $660M and $370M of that buying property to build the wide sidewalks and bike lanes, I doubt those will stick around. We should be starting in Seattle, where there is public support for something like this already
Reposted by Push The Needle
NEW POST
While cities across North America struggle with housing shortages, Edmonton is proving that zoning reform works.
In 2025, for the first time in history, the number of homes permitted in 5-8 unit rowhomes surpassed detached homes. 🧵
#yeg #yegcc #yimby
www.jacobdawang.com/blog/2026/zb...
While cities across North America struggle with housing shortages, Edmonton is proving that zoning reform works.
In 2025, for the first time in history, the number of homes permitted in 5-8 unit rowhomes surpassed detached homes. 🧵
#yeg #yegcc #yimby
www.jacobdawang.com/blog/2026/zb...
2025: The year Edmonton built the missing middle – Jacob Dawang
Edmonton’s zoning reform is working. In 2025, newly legalized eight-home rowhomes drove a record increase in homebuilding, achieved by redeveloping only 0.39% of properties in mature neighbourhoods.
www.jacobdawang.com
January 5, 2026 at 5:00 PM
NEW POST
While cities across North America struggle with housing shortages, Edmonton is proving that zoning reform works.
In 2025, for the first time in history, the number of homes permitted in 5-8 unit rowhomes surpassed detached homes. 🧵
#yeg #yegcc #yimby
www.jacobdawang.com/blog/2026/zb...
While cities across North America struggle with housing shortages, Edmonton is proving that zoning reform works.
In 2025, for the first time in history, the number of homes permitted in 5-8 unit rowhomes surpassed detached homes. 🧵
#yeg #yegcc #yimby
www.jacobdawang.com/blog/2026/zb...
This is HOW it works
A heck of a chart: in every single one of the 10 major US cities that built the most housing between 2017 and 2023, rents for older, existing units fell—often by quite a bit.
January 6, 2026 at 6:08 PM
This is HOW it works
The most undefeated thing ever is retail sales going up once you kick cars out of the way. It has happened everywhere
More good news: Sales at Pike Place Market were up 7.2% in October! Or to quote the PDA's own words the market has had "exceptional sales performance of our tenants." (pikeplacemarket.community.highbond.com/document/fd1...)
📈 So far every month of the pedestrianization pilot sales have been up!
📈 So far every month of the pedestrianization pilot sales have been up!
January 5, 2026 at 10:09 PM
The most undefeated thing ever is retail sales going up once you kick cars out of the way. It has happened everywhere