What is Great City?

Great City is a strategic urban advocacy group that believes smart and responsible urbanism is the solution to many of our social, economic, and environmental challenges. We are effective by engaging and empowering neighborhood groups (Neighborhood Assistance Program), developing and advocating for key urban strategies (Streets for People, Leadership for Great Neighborhoods, and Green Infrastructure), and bringing together public and private professionals to discuss and critique current projects and processes (Great City’s monthly brown bag series at GGLO).

Jun

14

Kirkland launches map for city projects

Posted by Nathan Daum

There’s a new interactive city planning tool in Kirkland,  maps.kirklandwa.gov. Seattle DJC reports users can find the project status, funding and contact information. The website also accepts suggestions for new projects.

 

If Seattle had such a website, what capital improvement project would you lobby for?

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May

1

Seattle’s Only River: Learn How You Can Help Save the Duwamish

Posted by Anna Mines

Image Credit: Paul Joseph Brown

The Duwamish River is Seattle’s only river. In 2001, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared the lower Duwamish River a Superfund Site, meaning it is one of the most toxic hazardous waste sites in the nation. In February 2013, the EPA released [...] Continue Reading…

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Apr

19

Are you a “microhousing” resident?

Posted by Nathan Daum

via Capitol Hill Seattle Blog

Back in March, we published a submission from Alex Broner, a renter, who provided some thoughts on the Microhousing debate. The city recently hosted a discussion on the topic which was attended by many opponents and a few supporters, according to Capitol Hill Seattle:
Here’s [...] Continue Reading…

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Mar

27

What Does a Climate-Mandate Governorship Look Like?

Posted by Nathan Daum

Does Washington State Governor Jay Inslee have a mandate on Climate Change? “More than any other president or governor before him,” according to the Bullitt Foundation’s Denis Hayes, organizer of the first Earth Day in 1970.

The Governor urges action now, and not just easy steps that will (maybe) amount [...] Continue Reading…

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Mar

26

Friday: Regional Transit System Update

Posted by Nathan Daum

NOTE: CAPITOL HILL STATION TRANSIT-ORIENTED-DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSION POSTPONED

 

In lieu of a discussion on the redevelopment of property above the future Broadway Link light rail station, we will have an update on the regional system expansion. Sound Transit’s Rachel Smith will talk about the impacts of the recession, the agency’s new [...] Continue Reading…

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Mar

20

Is there a high-speed love affair in America’s future?

Posted by Louisa Galassini

Most rail systems in the United States today are used for transporting freight, but this was not always the case. Passenger rail systems were a staple of American life until the 1950s when the Interstate Highway System and commercial air travel became dominant forms of transportation. Prior to this, [...] Continue Reading…

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Mar

18

“Single-Family” in Name Only: One Renter’s View of Apodments

Posted by Alex Broner

The one thing which we don’t see discussed enough in the “micro/community/apodment” housing debate is the fact that single family houses are often rented out bedroom by bedroom in a situation that is functionally similar to so called “apodments.”

Over the course of the last 7 years that I’ve been [...] Continue Reading…

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Mar

15

On the boards: new projects big and small

Posted by Nathan Daum

A unique, small infill project is planned for Capitol Hill. A couple of much larger buildings are planned for Bellevue, kicking off what some think will be the next wave of development in Washington’s 5th largest city.

Capitol Hill:
An open-air pathway called “the Mews” will run between 11th Avenue and [...] Continue Reading…

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Mar

9

Monday Brown Bag Lunch: Puget Sound Bike Share

Posted by Nathan Daum

Bike sharing systems have won over cities around the world, growing from 60 in 2007 to more than 400 today. Is it merely a tourist toy or an alternative to congestion and all its social, environmental and health impacts? CNN.com says it’s pragmatism that makes local governments enthusiastic about the potential [...] Continue Reading…

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Mar

5

Landscape Urbanism vs. New Urbanism: the Environmental Paradox of Cities

Posted by Nathan Daum

TODAY –> Tuesday, March 5 @ Reception 5:30 (Arch 250), Lecture @ 6:30 pm  – Architecture Hall 147 – Department of Architecture Lecture Series

 

Douglas Kelbaugh “Landscape Urbanism vs. New Urbanism: the Environmental Paradox of Cities”

 

Join the Department of Architecture for a lecture by Douglas S. Kelbaugh FAIA, Professor and former Dean of the Taubman [...] Continue Reading…

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Mar

3

Reimagining Bicycle Friendly Cities | Bicycle Urbanism Symposium to be held in Seattle | June 19-22

Posted by Elizabeth Johnson

The International Bicycle Urbanism Symposium will bring together practitioners, academics, policy makers and advocates with diverse backgrounds including urban design, planning, transportation, engineering, landscape architecture, and public policy.

Over two days, participants will explore the way that cities can best encourage and accommodate bicycle in the future. Speakers from around the [...] Continue Reading…

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Mar

1

South Lake Union: Fire it up

Posted by Nathan Daum

Thomas St. Green Street

Eight years of process has brought a lot of light, and a lot of heat, to the conversation about the geographic heart of our city (and some would say the very image of our economic future): South Lake Union. Careful balancing of [...] Continue Reading…

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Feb

27

One Heady Urban Infill Project, Flat Numbers Overall

Posted by Nathan Daum

Is there an ongoing generational shift in housing demand? No longer gobbling up far-flung single family housing of the type built all over America during the bubble of the last decade, some say consumers seek the flexibility of renting, and the opportunity to walk or use other alternative modes of transportation, [...] Continue Reading…

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Feb

12

An astoundingly powerful source of energy

Posted by Nathan Daum

Image: PRI's "Living on Earth"

There’s an “astoundingly powerful” source of energy flowing right under our feet, but instead of using it to reduce rising energy costs, we send those potential savings right down the drain. 

Join us  tomorrow at GGLO to learn about the power of waste water heat energy and [...] Continue Reading…

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Feb

8

Urban Quality of Life Upgrade

Posted by Nathan Daum

Seattle is exploring ways to connect the South Lake Union line to the new streetcar line now under construction from Capitol Hill to Pioneer Square.

Publicola reports there are various options to connect the lines and create a system that includes more of downtown, “including, potentially, a couplet of streetcars along [...] Continue Reading…

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