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The Urbanist
@theurbanist.org
33K followers 400 following 5.2K posts
Advocacy journalism for better cities.👩‍🦽👨‍🦯🚶🚴‍♀️ 🚎 ⛴️ 🚊 🚆 🏙️

Based in the Seattle metro area.

Read our coverage on theurbanist.org. 📰
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theurbanist.org
“Tacoma is eyeing impact fees to pay for portions of long-planned street upgrades that would have a big impact on the ability for city residents and visitors to get around without a car, including pedestrian and bicycle upgrades…”
theurbanist.org The Urbanist @theurbanist.org · 9h
Tacoma's new impact fee regime will charge developers based on expected generation of car trips. Despite work to delicately calibrate the new fees, the proposal still drew criticism when it comes to adding costs to needed housing development.

Story: www.theurbanist.org/2026/01/02/t...
Tacoma Turns to Builder Impact Fees to Bolster Transportation Funding » The Urbanist
# Tacoma's new impact fee regime, which goes into effect next summer, will charge developers based on expected generation of car trips. Despite work to delicately calibrate the new fees, the proposal ...
www.theurbanist.org
January 3, 2026 at 2:19 AM
Reposted by The Urbanist
mayorofseattle.bsky.social
This is your city — that means that you belong here, you have a right to be here and to live a dignified life, whatever your background and whatever your income. wilson.seattle.gov/2026/01/02/m...
Mayor Wilson Inauguration Speech - Office of the Mayor
Mayor Katie B. Wilson was sworn into office on January 2, 2026. Remarks as written: It is such a pleasure and an honor to be here with all of you today. I look out and I see so many people who have pl...
wilson.seattle.gov
January 2, 2026 at 10:27 PM
theurbanist.org
Tacoma's new impact fee regime will charge developers based on expected generation of car trips. Despite work to delicately calibrate the new fees, the proposal still drew criticism when it comes to adding costs to needed housing development.

Story: www.theurbanist.org/2026/01/02/t...
Tacoma Turns to Builder Impact Fees to Bolster Transportation Funding » The Urbanist
# Tacoma's new impact fee regime, which goes into effect next summer, will charge developers based on expected generation of car trips. Despite work to delicately calibrate the new fees, the proposal ...
www.theurbanist.org
January 2, 2026 at 9:52 PM
Reposted by The Urbanist
typewriteralley.bsky.social
"A city that values the pursuits that create beauty and community, whether or not they ever turn into careers. A city that thinks you should have time to read a book and lay on the grass looking up at the clouds." -Katie Wilson
January 2, 2026 at 9:36 PM
Reposted by The Urbanist
typewriteralley.bsky.social
"The thing about cities is that there is never just one story to be told about them." - @wilsonforseattle.bsky.social
January 2, 2026 at 9:31 PM
theurbanist.org
Katie B. Wilson has just taken her oath of office and been sworn in as Seattle’s 58th mayor.
Image of Wilson, her family, and supporters
January 2, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Reposted by The Urbanist
christianrincon.com
a Somali PhD student and transit activist is the first speaker ahead of mayor @wilsonforseattle.bsky.social inauguration — beautiful stuff
theurbanist.org The Urbanist @theurbanist.org · 13h
You can join online for the livestream swearing-in ceremony of Seattle Mayor Katie B. Wilson.

Livestream link: youtube.com/watch?v=NC98EINot1k&pp=uAQw
Seattle Channel Live - City Live
YouTube video by Seattle Channel
youtube.com
January 2, 2026 at 6:13 PM
theurbanist.org
You can join online for the livestream swearing-in ceremony of Seattle Mayor Katie B. Wilson.

Livestream link: youtube.com/watch?v=NC98EINot1k&pp=uAQw
Seattle Channel Live - City Live
YouTube video by Seattle Channel
youtube.com
January 2, 2026 at 6:07 PM
Reposted by The Urbanist
typewriteralley.bsky.social
Good morning from Seattle City Hall, where we're just over an hour away from Katie Wilson being sworn in as the city's mayor.
Empty podium in the lobby of city hall
January 2, 2026 at 5:18 PM
theurbanist.org
The Mayor of Seattle website cutover seems to have been completed. It now shows Katie Wilson as mayor. seattle.gov/mayor
Image of the Mayor's new landing page showing Katie Wilson
January 2, 2026 at 5:35 PM
theurbanist.org
NEW STORY // Tacoma Turns to Builder Impact Fees to Bolster Transportation Funding

Story by Ryan Packer via @theurbanist.org // 🔗 www.theurbanist.org/2026/01/02/t...
Tacoma Turns to Builder Impact Fees to Bolster Transportation Funding » The Urbanist
# Tacoma's new impact fee regime, which goes into effect next summer, will charge developers based on expected generation of car trips. Despite work to delicately calibrate the new fees, the proposal ...
www.theurbanist.org
January 2, 2026 at 4:31 PM
Reposted by The Urbanist
typewriteralley.bsky.social
If you can't make it down to City Hall, you can watch live here starting at 10am:
seattlechannel.org/watch-live
Watch Live | seattlechannel.org
Watch Seattle Channel Live
seattlechannel.org
January 2, 2026 at 3:16 PM
Reposted by The Urbanist
typewriteralley.bsky.social
Who'll be administering the oath of office today? Pauline Van Senus, also known as Seattle's Transit Fairy.
typewriteralley.bsky.social Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 16h
Katie Wilson is getting sworn in as Seattle's 58th mayor this morning.
January 2, 2026 at 3:38 PM
Reposted by The Urbanist
samd.bsky.social
Zohran is singlehandedly killing left-NIMBYism we love to see it
madwonk.bsky.social Defenestration @madwonk.bsky.social · 1d
Holy shit it's real
Description of the two task forces organized by Mandami, LIFT (use city owned land to develop housing) and SPEED (identify what slows down and drives up the costs on affordable housing)
January 2, 2026 at 2:00 AM
theurbanist.org
The Urbanist covered a lot of ground in 2025 from high-speed rail advancement and new shared street laws to housing growth appeals and parking mandates reform. Doug Trumm runs through our most popular stories of the year.

2025 in review: www.theurbanist.org/2026/01/01/t...
The Urbanist’s Most Popular Stories of 2025 » The Urbanist
# The most read stories at The Urbanist last year included coverage of high speed rail, light rail, shared streets, housing growth appeals, and parking mandates.
www.theurbanist.org
January 1, 2026 at 8:55 PM
theurbanist.org
NEW STORY // The Urbanist’s Most Popular Stories of 2025

Story by Doug Trumm via @theurbanist.org // 🔗
www.theurbanist.org/2026/01/01/t...
The Urbanist’s Most Popular Stories of 2025 » The Urbanist
# The most read stories at The Urbanist last year included coverage of high speed rail, light rail, shared streets, housing growth appeals, and parking mandates.
www.theurbanist.org
January 1, 2026 at 6:06 PM
Reposted by The Urbanist
typewriteralley.bsky.social
Seattle is not mayorless; Katie Wilson officially took office automatically at midnight, but her ceremonial swearing-in isn't until tomorrow morning so this is a weird liminal time.
January 1, 2026 at 5:31 PM
theurbanist.org
Wikipedia users got to work quick on updating Seattle mayoral details. The change on the Seattle page was made at 8:20am GMT today (12:20am local time). (And no, we didn't do it.)
Seattle Wikipedia page showing Katie Wilson as Mayor of the city Seattle wiki page revision history showing that the page was updated at 8:20 GMT on January 1, 2026 by a user named "U"
January 1, 2026 at 5:27 PM
Reposted by The Urbanist
theurbanist.org
Happy New Year’s Eve! 🎇 ⏰

It’s a good day and night for transit! We have a rundown on transit options for today and tomorrow. 🚌 🚎 🚃 🚊 🚆 🚝

Have a safe evening and treat yourself well as we move into the New Year! 🕊️

Details: www.theurbanist.org/2025/12/31/p...
Puget Sound Agencies Offer Fare-Free Transit on New Year’s Eve » The Urbanist
# Ring in the new year with free transit on King County Metro, Sound Transit, Seattle Streetcar, Pierce Transit, Community Transit, Everett Transit, and Intercity Transit.
www.theurbanist.org
December 31, 2025 at 8:52 PM
theurbanist.org
January 1, 2026 at 1:02 AM
Reposted by The Urbanist
typewriteralley.bsky.social
The legislature asked WSDOT to pilot Wi-Fi service at Washington State Ferries, and the department is moving forward with plans to try out service at the Bremerton terminal as well as on board the MV Chimacum.
wsdot.wa.gov/sites/defaul...
Pilot Overview WSF proposes a focused pilot that will evaluate public Wi-Fi service at one terminal, Bremerton, and on one vessel, the M/V Chimacum. This pilot structure allows WSF to test a full end-to-end environment, including terminal and vessel connectivity. Bremerton is strategically selected because it represents one of the system’s longest sailings, where customer demand for internet connectivity is likely higher, and where the physical layout of the terminal provides a manageable platform for initial installation. The M/V Chimacum is identified as the vessel pilot candidate due to its route profile, operational predictability, and its planned 2026 layup, which can potentially support installation work with minimal disruption. The combined terminal and vessel configuration will allow the pilot to test core service elements including network availability, signal coverage, roaming between shore and vessel networks, bandwidth performance, and vendor support responsiveness. The proposed public Wi-Fi pilot at the Bremerton terminal and aboard the M/V Chimacum represents a practical, data-driven approach to evaluating the feasibility of a modern Wi-Fi service for ferry passengers. The pilot is designed to gather critical information on technical performance, customer adoption, operational impacts, and costs, while limiting risk and resource demands. Data collected during the pilot will inform WSF on the viability of broader deployment, including potential service models, funding approaches, and phased enhancements such as expanded coverage or customer-facing portals. Clear communication with passengers, careful monitoring, and structured evaluation will ensure the pilot produces actionable insights, allowing WSF to provide a thorough report to the Legislature and support future decisions on public Wi-Fi service. WSF will continue to keep the Legislature informed of our progress throughout the duration of the pilot.
December 31, 2025 at 10:21 PM
theurbanist.org
Happy New Year’s Eve! 🎇 ⏰

It’s a good day and night for transit! We have a rundown on transit options for today and tomorrow. 🚌 🚎 🚃 🚊 🚆 🚝

Have a safe evening and treat yourself well as we move into the New Year! 🕊️

Details: www.theurbanist.org/2025/12/31/p...
Puget Sound Agencies Offer Fare-Free Transit on New Year’s Eve » The Urbanist
# Ring in the new year with free transit on King County Metro, Sound Transit, Seattle Streetcar, Pierce Transit, Community Transit, Everett Transit, and Intercity Transit.
www.theurbanist.org
December 31, 2025 at 8:52 PM
theurbanist.org
😎
December 31, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Reposted by The Urbanist
typewriteralley.bsky.social
In late January, there will be a two-day hearing to determine whether buildings with 100% affordable housing in Bainbridge Island should be allowed to be slightly taller than otherwise allowed. This is tying up an actual project.
www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/24/b...
Beleaguered Bainbridge Island Affordable Housing Project Hits Another Snag » The Urbanist
# A SEPA appeal filed by a former council candidate means LIHI's long-planned 92-unit housing project won't be as competitive for state grants, but the nonprofit developer is optimistic that things ca...
www.theurbanist.org
December 31, 2025 at 5:34 PM
theurbanist.org
NEW STORY // Puget Sound Agencies Offer Fare-Free Transit on New Year’s Eve

Story by Stephen Fesler via @theurbanist.org // 🔗 www.theurbanist.org/2025/12/31/p...
Puget Sound Agencies Offer Fare-Free Transit on New Year’s Eve » The Urbanist
# Ring in the new year with free transit on King County Metro, Sound Transit, Seattle Streetcar, Pierce Transit, Community Transit, Everett Transit, and Intercity Transit.
www.theurbanist.org
December 31, 2025 at 3:54 PM