Spokane Councilmember Klitzke is leading the charge for state legislation that would authorize the equivalent of a land value tax: “A property tax that exempts buildings and shifts the burden onto land would give us a new and powerful tool to fill in our gaps while keeping Spokane affordable.”

BREAKING: The Washington Court of Appeals has found in favor of the two groups challenging the environmental review of Seattle's Comprehensive Plan, finding that both King County Superior Court and the city's Hearing Examiner erred in dismissing the appeal at earlier stages.

I think a lot about the @jerusalem.bsky.social article from 2024 describing the schism in environmentalism between "crisis greens" and "cautious greens." That struggle continues, and the consequences of rulings like this will be more sprawl, more pollution, and cities that are less affordable.

I am a liberal and a Democrat and I 100% favor the legalization of much more housing construction in all neighborhoods. To limit urban sprawl and VMT, you have to allow urban housing infill in job-rich places. Don't take it from me, take it from Bill McKibben. moreneighborswnc.org/uncategorize...

Weaponizing environmental concerns to prevent people from living in our urban environments isn’t new. It’s deployed by people with resources to restrict access to high opportunity areas. It’s nimbyism. In order to reach our housing goals, our land use processes must stop enabling this behavior.

Happy Birthday to the Parking Reform & Modernization Act! 🎂 @jessdbateman.bsky.social www.sightline.org/2026/05/07/w...

This is why we can’t have nice things. Weaponizing environmental law to prevent a grocery store in an already existing building is the epitome of NIMBYism & demonstrates the flaws in our legal system.

If you want to call in, you've gotta sign up for the morning session, starting at 8:30am. The 3pm session is reserved for in-person comment. www.seattle.gov/council/meet...

King County housing levy could be on deck...

Happy to see the Mayor of Washington’s largest city embracing pro-housing strategies! It’s about time.👏👏👏

We are on the last day of our Spring Member Drive, and we just want to say thank you to everyone who’s already stepped up to support The Urbanist—your support is what allows us to grow our team and expand our reporting. If you’ve been meaning to give, now’s the time to become a member:

Hooray for housing! @governorferguson.bsky.social signed HB 2266, HB 6026, and HB 1345 (among others!) into law today 🎉🏠 Let's hear it for more critical housing types everywhere!! #waleg

Not much attention this year on HB 2418, but @davina425.bsky.social seems to have a quiet yet powerful housing bill every session and this one was sent to the Governor's desk tonight. app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/...

Yesterday, Oregon's legislature voted to ban underfunded inclusionary zoning from the Portland metro area. It's a big turnaround, and I hope a path forward for other states too. www.sightline.org/2026/03/05/o...

We need to start blowing up council inboxes & public comment, to fix the @seattleopcd.bsky.social plan that only allows social & affordable housing on loud, polluted, & dangerous roads. Mark your calendars, put in your PTO 😭, & bring your friends. ALL HANDS ON DECK for Alternative 5 Corridors.

By a 41-7 vote, the Washington Senate just directed the state's building code council to adopt updated regulations for elevators in buildings with up to six stories or 24 units, "minimally sized to meet federal accessibility requirements." The final version: lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/202...

Housing research friends, are you excited to study how state pro-housing policies are working? The Infrastructure team @arnoldventures.bsky.social just launched an RFP for Measurement & Evaluation of State & Local Housing Supply Reforms. Details: www.arnoldventures.org/infrastructu...

Bothell ascendant www.theurbanist.org/2026/02/07/b...

Missoula, Montana has just: - Eliminated single family zoning - Eliminated parking requirements citywide - Allows 100-125' of height in many of its mixed-use zones with no limits on density or FAR Why is Missoula so much more progressive than Los Angeles?

Update: Today is the Policy Committee cutoff date. So bills that do not advance out of their policy committee by the time those committees end today are dead for the year. Also any hearings on bills today are really just "courtesy" hearings, meaning those bills will be heard but not moved #waleg

Bellevue is planning an “omnibus” series of zoning code amendments all in one package, including eight changes that move the city into compliance with state law. Turns out, you don’t need to do a ton of process to enact state-required zoning changes!

Bothell ascendant.

After the Washington House's local government committee unanimously approved a bill legalizing scissor stairs last week, the Senate's housing committee just unanimously approved the companion bill. app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?...

Short session comes at you fast! #WAleg is once again cooking up a slew of housing bills and if you're struggling to keep up, @sightline.org's got you covered with our bill tracker: www.homes4wa.org/bill-tracker

Housing advocates! A bill that was heard in the Senate Environment Committee yesterday would require a project level cultural resources review for all infill housing built in WA.

First iteration of the Housing Accountability Act. ✅

Good news for neighborhood cafes! That said, it has provisions allowing cities to regulate parking, signage, hours of operation, and square footage, which could be misused by oppositional-defiant jurisdictions. I’d also like to see the bill include explicit reference to last year’s parking reform.

Tomorrow at 8:00, there will be a public hearing in #waleg Senate Law & Justice on #SB5855, a bill that would ban the use of face coverings by law enforcement officers. You can sign in "pro" or sign up to testify here: app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Senate?s...

#SB6015: Requiring the state to create permit-ready plan sets for factory-built middle housing and ADUs, and requiring cities to allow them to be built. Read it: app.leg.wa.gov/BillSummary/...

#SB6028: Allowing the Washington State Housing Finance Commission to create a loan fund for mixed-income home development. Read it: app.leg.wa.gov/BillSummary/...

People don't realize how important this is (the retail component). Everyone wants street level retail, but there's simply not enough people and businesses to fill in the spaces we already have and that leads to endless vacancies which are terrible for the built environment. It also adds costs 1/3

Some great new housing bills filed in the past few days in #waleg. (Thread)

Millcreek has an open seat on its Planning Commission, offering an opportunity to help shape zoning, land use, and housing affordability through direct policy work. Applications are open until filled, and interested individuals are encouraged to apply. www.millcreekut.gov/157/Planning...

We're baaaack! Back on Bsky, that is — we didn't stop working for more affordable, abundant homes in the legislative off-season. This group is jazzed about the bills shaping up for 2026 (kicking off Jan. 12) with more to share very soon. Until then, subscribe to our newsletter: homes4wa.org/updates

It’s wild that we spend years, with significant community engagement, to draft comprehensive plans, and we don’t automatically update zoning codes to match those plans. Instead, American planners often need to restart years of new battles to change zoning. This system has so many veto points

This is why we can’t have nice things. I’m happy to see our largest city taking stock of its barriers to creating housing. Now, let’s see action to make it feasible to build the housing we so desperately need.

This meeting is tomorrow at 5pm and the East DRB only has 3 members, meaning there will likely be an outside sub. We need people to show up and bombard them with support so they don’t bike shed this into 2026

Together, we've secured more than two dozen state and local policy wins this year, steadily reshaping daily life for the better. Sightline's Fall Fund Drive kicks off today, and your support can fuel the research, strategy, and case-making that turn ideas into action: sightline.org/donate

Happy to share WA’s experience advancing pro-housing policy with bi-partisan leaders from across the country. Thank you @arnoldventures.bsky.social for organizing this peer learning opportunity. Our housing shortage is a solvable problem. Inspired to see progress happening across the country.🏘️

The American Library Association kicked off this year’s Banned Books Week on Oct. 5. The celebration — if that's the right word for it — goes until Oct. 11. But people from states where book bans are more common than they are in Washington are finding help in Seattle year-round.

seattle - CM rivera's amendment 102 is a poison pill that does not protect tree canopy, and will curtail housing in wealth neighborhoods this will push more development into areas that don't have trees - increasing exposure to heat islands please sign & boost actionnetwork.org/letters/amen...

A week after the Bainbridge Island council voted to downsize a planned affordable housing project planned by LIHI near the state ferry terminal, supporters of the project have shown up in force to tonight's council meeting to push for retaining the full project. www.theurbanist.org/2025/08/22/b...

🎉 Shoreline, WA abolishes parking mandates city-wide!!! Expect a new red dot to show up on our Mandates Map very soon! parkingreform.org/resources/ma...

This is the type of city level proactive, pro-housing action we need to address our housing shortage. Kudos to @alexis4seattle.bsky.social for your vision and leadership.👏

this = things + love to see

Thanks for the opportunity & conversation, @natebowling.com!

Another reason why Bothell is pretty great!

In Boston this July 4th. 🎆Spent the day touring the Freedom Trail. Remembering our country’s history and why we fought for freedom from kings & tyranny. May we be independent again. Happy Independence Day!🇺🇸

“Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills…that will allow many development projects to avoid rigorous environmental review and, potentially, the delaying and cost-inflating lawsuits that have discouraged construction in the state.” #CEQA www.nytimes.com/2025/06/30/u...