The Urbanist

Epizódy

• Bike Weekends, Ballard Marches, and Crisis Care 23.04.2026 55min

  The Urbanist newsroom discusses the April headlines, including Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson announcing a greatly expanded Bicycle Weekend schedule on Lake Washington Boulevard, hundreds of transit advocates marching to save Ballard light rail from the chopping block, and behind-the-scenes pushback against a Capitol Hill crisis case center from prominent landlords and business owners.
• Crosslake 2 Line Opening Extravaganza 03.04.2026 53min

  The Urbanist newsroom (Ryan Packer, Amy Sundberg, and Doug Trumm) discusses the big opening day for Sound Transit's crosslake 2 Line and what it means for the future of light rail expansion in the Seattle region. In a series of speeches from Sound Transit leaders, officials waxed poetic on the significance of the day and some argued it provided momentum as the agency heads into the next round of expansions, with several projects way overbudget. More than 200,000 riders piled on Link light rai...
• Final Push in Olympia and Candidate Launch Updates 12.03.2026 50min

  The Urbanist's Ryan Packer, Amy Sundberg, and Doug Trumm discuss recent news out of Olympia, candidate campaign rollouts, and King County transportation funding woes. The crew also gives their recommendations for favorite outdoor festivals or seasonal events. Our latest dispatches on the Washington State Legislature include: Mosquito Fleet Act Runs Into Choppy Seas in the State SenateSound Transit’s Bid to Unlock 75-Year Bonds Finds Second WindNeighborhood Cafe and Corner Store Bill Fails for...
• Social Housing and Wilson's Four Pillars of Affordability 26.02.2026 55min

  The Urbanist’s newsroom — Doug Trumm, Ryan Packer, and Amy Sundberg — dive into recent headlines in a podcast episode covering: Katie Wilson's State of the City speech. (Read our story)An update on which bills are moving and which are dying at the Washington State Legislation.The Seattle Social Housing Developer's big moves, including huge proceeds in its first year with a dedicated revenue source. (Read our story) Here's a recap of the Olympia coverage we referenced: Age verificat...
• Crosslake Light Rail + Constitutional Crisis 17.02.2026 56min

  In this episode of The Urbanist Podcast, our newsroom discusses what the 2 Line opening scheduled for March 28 means for the region, and what removing former committee chair Claudia Balducci from Systems Expansions Committee and Executive Committee means for Sound Transit. Hosts Ryan Packer, Amy Sundberg, and Doug Trumm also discuss the constitutional crisis created by a Department of Homeland Security that is ignoring due process rights in its haste to execute a campaign of mass deportation....
• Olympia Preview and a Highway Boondoggle 22.01.2026 53min

  Ryan Packer, Amy Sundberg, and Doug Trumm of The Urbanist newsroom preview the session now underway at the Washington State Legislature in Olympia and break down the huge setback that the I-5 Interstate Bridge Replacement project was just dealt, via a massive cost jump pushing the budget near $20 billion. Ryan recently covered a myriad of housing bills working their way through Olympia. Bills allowing smaller elevators and scissor stairs could make midrise buildings more feasible to bu...
• New Year, New Mayor, New Budget 08.01.2026 53min

  The Urbanist’s Ryan Packer, Amy Sundberg, and Doug Trumm kick off the new year by breaking down Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson's inauguration ceremony and Washington Governor Bob Ferguson's supplemental budget proposal, which included deep cuts to public education, while also queuing up a millionaires income tax for 2029. The trio also make a few new year predictions and flag some big stories to watch.
• A Light Rail Opening, a Police Accountability Door Closing, and Wilson's Transition 18.12.2025 56min

  The Urbanist's newsroom dissects the biggest headlines of the last few weeks. Ryan Packer, Amy Sundberg, and Doug Trumm discuss the Federal Way Link light rail opening in early December, Katie Wilson's transition team and early hires, and the Seattle City Council's vote to approve a controversial labor contract with the Seattle Police Officers Guild. The contract again punts on long-promised accountability measures and leaves several obstacles to civilian crisis response in place. Check out r...
• Election Extravaganza: Puget Sound Progressives Prevail 27.11.2025 50min

  The Urbanist Podcast is back after a hiatus, just in time to break down 2025 election results. Urbanist-endorsed Katie Wilson pulled off a comeback in late returns to win the Seattle Mayor race. In this episode, Urbanist publisher Doug Trumm and reporter Amy Sundberg discuss results in Seattle and other interesting races across the region, including Tacoma, Bellevue, Kirkland, and a progressive sweep in Burien.
• The Urbanist's Future of Seattle Housing Panel 29.04.2025 1h 49min

  The Urbanist hosted a “Future of Seattle Housing” panel discussion on April 23rd, alongside Seattle YIMBY, at El Centro de la Raza in Beacon Hill. The panel was moderated by Doug Trumm, The Urbanist’s publisher, and our panelists are housing leaders in the private, non-profit, and public sectors: Patrick Cobb, developer, architect, and a founding partner of Stack, a firm specializing in urban infill development.Naishin Fu, Co-Executive Director at House Our Neighbors, a nonprofit focused on e...
• November Election Endorsements (and a fond farewell) 06.10.2023 39min

  It's time to vote for Seattle City Council, a housing levy, and elected positions all over King County. The Urbanist has published its general election endorsements. Get out your ballots, use the endorsements to pick the best candidates, and make sure they're returned by November 7. In this episode, co-hosts Natalie Argerious and Ray Dubicki break down the issues facing Seattle in this election and then review the endorsements. Gotta say that the Election Committee did a good job on some, bu...
• All About 2023 Primary Endorsements 14.07.2023 40min

  Primary election ballots are arriving in the mail and due by August 1st. In the run up The Urbanist Elections Committee has been hard at work prepping endorsements for what is shaping to be an exciting (and consequential) primary election. In this podcast episode, host and reporter Ray Dubicki chats with Election Committee members Rian Watt, Urbanist executive director, and Maya Ramakrishnan, eviction attorney, about the committee's endorsements. Want to know more about their process fo...
• Summer in the City 2023 30.06.2023 16min

  Summer is (finally) here for families with kids in Seattle Public Schools! In this mini episode, hosts Ray Dubicki and Natalie Argerious reflect on how we got to this late start to summer and look forward to what's ahead. A great companion piece to this episode is Ray's recent op-ed on Mayor Harrell's vision for Downtown Seattle. Be sure to check it out. This is the last episode of our third podcast season. Although we are taking a break from recording, we will be checking our email th...
• Grass Lawns and Foxtail's Deadly Danger to Dogs 23.06.2023 31min

  Summertime gets us thinking about whole bunch of stuff, including grass. In cities across North America, grass yards are often a symbol of wealth and success and in many areas have a cult status. But what are some of the pros and cons of covering land in a plant monoculture? What happens when deadly grasses like foxtail invade? And is it true that in the right conditions synthetic turf can melt? We discuss all of these questions and more in this episode. While look forward to you listening, ...
• UW's Report on High Speed Rail Planning 15.06.2023 36min

  Cascadia is uniquely set up as a region that would support high-speed rail. Between the linear arrangement of Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC, and the just-over-100 mile distance between each one, the super region could be tied together by a fast. It's an idea being pushed by a number of actors, including the Cascadia Innovation Corridor, Microsoft, and anyone who REALLY needs to get back north for the Michelin starred roast duck at iDen & Quanjude Beijing Duck House. In this episode...
• The Power of Parks with the Trust for Public Land 09.06.2023 29min

  The Urbanist recently reported on Seattle snagging the 8th slot in the Trust for Public Land's 2023 national ParkScore index. In this episode, Natalie Argerious speaks with the Trust for Public Land's (TPL) Linda Hwang, Senior Director, Strategy and Innovation of the Land and People Lab, and Ronda Lee Chapman, Equity Director, about their organization's work to create more quality public parks throughout the US. Whether its research, advocacy, or community outreach, TPL is involved in a l...
• What's Next for Washington State Housing Advocacy 02.06.2023 29min

  Last week, we published an oral history of Washington State's missing middle housing bill. Creating this episode involved interviewing several of the lawmakers and advocates, like Representative Jessica Bateman (D- Olympia) and Bryce Yadon, lobbyist for Futurewise, who were involved in the legislation's path to success. There were so many good insights in the interviews that we decided to revisit a few more things we learned from these important conversations before shifting our focus t...
• The Oral History of HB1110, Washington's Middle Housing Bill 26.05.2023 52min

  In this year’s legislative session, the Washington State Legislature passed extensive housing reform. House Bill 1110 compelled many cities in Washington to open up single-housing residential zones to long-banned duplexes, cottage courts, and small apartments. Such middle housing has been missing from the calculation for years, and it’s no wonder that housing has become unaffordable in that time. It took a lot to pass that legislation. In this episode, Doug Trumm and Ray Dubicki bring togethe...
• How to Crush a Housing Project the Seattle Way 19.05.2023 45min

  In this episode, civil engineer and Urbanist contributing writer Donna Breske discusses her experience with the frustrating hurdles posed by the permitting process in Seattle with podcast host Ray Dubicki. Breske works on the kind of urban infill projects that the City of Seattle purports to want to see built, but in her experience, impediments in permit process, particularly for utilities, end up crushing development plans. Breske has shared some of these case studies in articles for The Ur...
• The Urbanist's Tuesday Talk with Sound Transit's Julie Timm 16.05.2023 1h 22min

  Sound Transit CEO Julie Timm was our guest for The Urbanist's monthly talk series. Timm took the reins in September after coming out on top in a national CEO search to replace Peter Rogoff. She left her post as CEO of Greater Richmond Transit Company in Virginia to take the top job at Sound Transit. The discussion features a wide range of topics facing Seattle's light rail, from the issues with escalators to the order of stations opening. Timm provides a very frank observation many of the hi...