@pwalchtaylor.bsky.social
Seattlite, housing designer and advocate, Urbanist, cyclist. Volunteer @urbanistorg. He/Him
A whole lot of Seattle council members are convinced you can’t build on hills. Maybe they should walk around Capitol Hill or Queen Anne sometime.
September 18, 2025 at 5:58 PM
A whole lot of Seattle council members are convinced you can’t build on hills. Maybe they should walk around Capitol Hill or Queen Anne sometime.
Reposted
Guys please come to the comp plan hearing Friday, I’m begging you besties
September 8, 2025 at 3:03 AM
Guys please come to the comp plan hearing Friday, I’m begging you besties
I was going to post about how amazing it was that I can now ride from Beacon Hill to South Park to Georgetown to downtown almost entirely in PBLs. But instead I’ll post this picture of a guy who smashed into the bike lane seconds after I rolled through:
August 29, 2025 at 7:04 AM
I was going to post about how amazing it was that I can now ride from Beacon Hill to South Park to Georgetown to downtown almost entirely in PBLs. But instead I’ll post this picture of a guy who smashed into the bike lane seconds after I rolled through:
For some reason @seattledot.bsky.social has geofenced the streets of Yesler Terrace so bike share bikes lose most power just as you hit the hills. Meanwhile the cars are all going 25+. I with SDoT didn’t see bikes as a bigger threat than cars.
August 12, 2025 at 6:57 PM
For some reason @seattledot.bsky.social has geofenced the streets of Yesler Terrace so bike share bikes lose most power just as you hit the hills. Meanwhile the cars are all going 25+. I with SDoT didn’t see bikes as a bigger threat than cars.
Another great parking job by @seattledot.bsky.social, blocking the entire sidewalk next to the light rail station. It’s telling about their priorities.
July 29, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Another great parking job by @seattledot.bsky.social, blocking the entire sidewalk next to the light rail station. It’s telling about their priorities.
Overheard on Beacon Hill: “You can’t drive downtown anymore because of all the bike lanes!” and “Bike lanes make it more dangerous for bikers.” Of course said by someone who probably hasn’t rode a bike since they were 7.
June 12, 2025 at 11:46 PM
Overheard on Beacon Hill: “You can’t drive downtown anymore because of all the bike lanes!” and “Bike lanes make it more dangerous for bikers.” Of course said by someone who probably hasn’t rode a bike since they were 7.
We have no trees on our property (our backyard is townhouses) but live on a tree lined street (15th Ave S) and it’s wonderful. We have beautiful trees outside our window and a shady front yard. CM Moore doesn’t know what she’s taking about.
Cathy Moore is arguing that trees on private property are often better than trees in public parks. "I don't think that you can necessarily get the benefit of a tree by it being in a park," she says.
May 1, 2025 at 5:22 PM
We have no trees on our property (our backyard is townhouses) but live on a tree lined street (15th Ave S) and it’s wonderful. We have beautiful trees outside our window and a shady front yard. CM Moore doesn’t know what she’s taking about.
Here is the alternative to urban development. Tree activists trying to stop new infill development aren’t just anti-housing, they’re anti-tree.
Another West Bremerton forest bows down to the needs of sprawl, that either can’t or won’t be met by urban infill. No bus serves this Neighbourhood in the nearest elementary school is 3 1/2 miles away.
April 29, 2025 at 6:23 AM
Here is the alternative to urban development. Tree activists trying to stop new infill development aren’t just anti-housing, they’re anti-tree.
What @nondriver.bsky.social said a thousand times over. Let's get rid of the "passing lane." Use it for a bike lane, turn it into parking, fill it with rocks. Let's make it harder to speed along a street that is a light rail corridor and that cuts the Rainier Valley in two.
Resharing in light of the pedestrian who was just killed at Alaska & MLK. It’s past time to reduce the number of lanes
Another idea to make at-grade light rail safer in Seattle - removing one car lane around stations (I watched two elementary school kids safely dash across this to catch a train)
From Valley Transit in Mesa, AZ
From Valley Transit in Mesa, AZ
April 23, 2025 at 6:35 AM
What @nondriver.bsky.social said a thousand times over. Let's get rid of the "passing lane." Use it for a bike lane, turn it into parking, fill it with rocks. Let's make it harder to speed along a street that is a light rail corridor and that cuts the Rainier Valley in two.
I just heard @markusja.bsky.social giving a great presentation before the Washington Building Code Council on how to make it cheaper and easier to build middle housing. He did the job they seem unable to do despite being told to by @davina425.bsky.social, @jessdbateman.bsky.social, and others.
April 7, 2025 at 11:21 PM
I just heard @markusja.bsky.social giving a great presentation before the Washington Building Code Council on how to make it cheaper and easier to build middle housing. He did the job they seem unable to do despite being told to by @davina425.bsky.social, @jessdbateman.bsky.social, and others.
SDOT recorded cars going up to 70 mph on Rainier. The solution? Paint and post and flashing beacons. I’m sure that will fix the problem…
March 27, 2025 at 4:54 AM
SDOT recorded cars going up to 70 mph on Rainier. The solution? Paint and post and flashing beacons. I’m sure that will fix the problem…
Klondike Gold Rush National Park center in Pioneer Square is slated to be closed by the Trump Administration. A loss for our city: www.npca.org/articles/707...
Parks Group Warns of Dismantling of the National Park Service
"Quite simply and astonishingly, this is dismantling the National Park Service as we know it, ranger by ranger and brick by brick." - Theresa Pierno, NPCA's President and CEO
www.npca.org
March 4, 2025 at 5:49 AM
Klondike Gold Rush National Park center in Pioneer Square is slated to be closed by the Trump Administration. A loss for our city: www.npca.org/articles/707...
@sound-transit.bsky.social I took a stroller into Pioneer Square Station. One elevator is closed with no information about alternate routes, the other was filled with piss and a wet floor sign. If you’re going to tell folks to not take the stairs, get you house in order first.
March 4, 2025 at 12:03 AM
@sound-transit.bsky.social I took a stroller into Pioneer Square Station. One elevator is closed with no information about alternate routes, the other was filled with piss and a wet floor sign. If you’re going to tell folks to not take the stairs, get you house in order first.
I sent a comment and so can you!
The Market Historical Commission meets tomorrow afternoon, virtual, in-person, and written public comment accepted.
www.seattle.gov/neighborhood...
www.seattle.gov/neighborhood...
February 26, 2025 at 8:37 AM
I sent a comment and so can you!
The Victor Steinbrueck Park closure it a crime against the city. It’s a public space and people should be able to use it. I hope this is getting someone to consider reform of the Historical Commission, because they are clearly out of control.
www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
Reopening of Pike Place Market park delayed by totem pole standoff
The overhaul of Victor Steinbrueck Park is finished, but a dispute over two totem poles has prevented it from reopening to the public.
www.seattletimes.com
February 26, 2025 at 8:23 AM
The Victor Steinbrueck Park closure it a crime against the city. It’s a public space and people should be able to use it. I hope this is getting someone to consider reform of the Historical Commission, because they are clearly out of control.
www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
Reposted
We have a monthly meetup on the 20th at Big Time Brewery! www.theurbanist.org/2025/02/11/j...
Join The Urbanist for Our February Social Events - The Urbanist
# Join The Urbanist for our February social events in Seattle, Redmond, and Shoreline. Next up is our Big Time Brewery meetup on February 20.
www.theurbanist.org
February 19, 2025 at 5:50 AM
We have a monthly meetup on the 20th at Big Time Brewery! www.theurbanist.org/2025/02/11/j...
There is no hope for Seattle if we can’t stop letting cars park in Occidental Square, one of our finest (and only) plazas:
February 16, 2025 at 2:14 AM
There is no hope for Seattle if we can’t stop letting cars park in Occidental Square, one of our finest (and only) plazas:
How is Dow Constantine in the running Sound Transit CEO? He is a political hack with no transit system expertise who has spent years adding cost and delay to our much needed rail expansion. The fact he is in the running proves how unserious the ST board is. www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
www.seattletimes.com
February 15, 2025 at 8:04 PM
How is Dow Constantine in the running Sound Transit CEO? He is a political hack with no transit system expertise who has spent years adding cost and delay to our much needed rail expansion. The fact he is in the running proves how unserious the ST board is. www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
Ann Davis has another challenger for the city attorney position: www.voterouse.com?fbclid=IwZXh...
Nathan Rouse for Seattle City Attorney
www.voterouse.com
February 11, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Ann Davis has another challenger for the city attorney position: www.voterouse.com?fbclid=IwZXh...
I think of this every time I see a flexpost that has clearly been run over many times. SDOT thinks the paint on a car is more important that a biker's life. That or they just prefer that delivery vehicles park in bike lanes.
What flexposts say: "We could use steel bollards but a bollard might scratch a car and that would be a tragedy. So, we're going to use these instead — things literally designed to be run over — because protecting even one car from a scratch is worth thousands of pedestrian deaths every year."
Because city agencies are typically reactive, not proactive; crews aren’t scouring the city for downed flexposts. But in a rare victory for municipal services, explains @johnsurico.bsky.social, if you tell them, they will come.
February 7, 2025 at 8:06 AM
I think of this every time I see a flexpost that has clearly been run over many times. SDOT thinks the paint on a car is more important that a biker's life. That or they just prefer that delivery vehicles park in bike lanes.
If @adamsmith.house.gov is meeting with Chris Rufo he’s lost my vote forever.
February 6, 2025 at 2:00 AM
If @adamsmith.house.gov is meeting with Chris Rufo he’s lost my vote forever.
You wanna speak up for more housing in Seattle? Tomorrow is a big opportunity to tell the city to welcome new folks and let more homes be built:
oneseattleforall.org/events/
oneseattleforall.org/events/
Events & Timeline
Rally February 5 at 4-5PM, City Hall - One Seattle for All: More Homes, More Neighbors, More Friends Rally and Public Comment at City Hall
Register Here
Educational Webinars January 29 at 7:30-9PM, on...
oneseattleforall.org
February 5, 2025 at 12:35 AM
You wanna speak up for more housing in Seattle? Tomorrow is a big opportunity to tell the city to welcome new folks and let more homes be built:
oneseattleforall.org/events/
oneseattleforall.org/events/
The urbanists may have a publication (@theurbanist.org with all of 3 paid staff), but the NIMBYs have the Seattle Times!
I'm not live-tweeting the public comments at the latest comp plan meeting, but my god: The last speaker just claimed that unlike homeowners like her, "URBANISTS have PUBLICATIONS" and claimed a neighbor was threatened by one of these "URBANISTS" (she says it like a dirty word) who called her a NIMBY
January 30, 2025 at 4:53 AM
The urbanists may have a publication (@theurbanist.org with all of 3 paid staff), but the NIMBYs have the Seattle Times!
The Seattle Paradox: we are blessed with enlightened voter who will tax them selves to pay for big projects, and cursed by small minded leaders who squander every opportunity they are given to do great things. See also social housing.
On the light rail to Lynwood today reflecting on how messed up it is that we’ve invested billions in this transit infrastructure that runs along a major highway right of way instead thru neighborhoods where we could upzone walkable density where people actually want to live car-free.
January 26, 2025 at 6:37 AM
The Seattle Paradox: we are blessed with enlightened voter who will tax them selves to pay for big projects, and cursed by small minded leaders who squander every opportunity they are given to do great things. See also social housing.
What Seattle’s mayor means when he says “Space Needle Thinking”:
January 8, 2025 at 5:58 PM
What Seattle’s mayor means when he says “Space Needle Thinking”: