constantine
@cchrisafis.bsky.social
UW landscape architecture & urban planning • opinions are my own
Reposted by constantine
We haven't had a decent transportation committee chair this entire decade. AMR would be amazing in this role. (As she would be in any Council role, tbh.)
Hearing a rumor recently I hadn't been hearing a few weeks ago: transportation committee chair Alexis Mercedes Rinck?
November 21, 2025 at 11:10 PM
We haven't had a decent transportation committee chair this entire decade. AMR would be amazing in this role. (As she would be in any Council role, tbh.)
Reposted by constantine
Nearly 1,100 days after safety advocates painted a guerrilla crosswalk at Harvard Ave E and E Olive Way (and SDOT washed it off), there is now a permanent crosswalk here.
November 11, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Nearly 1,100 days after safety advocates painted a guerrilla crosswalk at Harvard Ave E and E Olive Way (and SDOT washed it off), there is now a permanent crosswalk here.
Reposted by constantine
Katie Wilson is leading in the Seattle mayor's race!
November 10, 2025 at 11:55 PM
Katie Wilson is leading in the Seattle mayor's race!
Reposted by constantine
I gotta say, it's really frustrating to see The Stranger use a Sound Transit board member's request to listen to national transit experts and actually answer one of the biggest outstanding questions about ST3 (after nine years!) as bludgeon during their endorsement of her opponent.
October 18, 2025 at 4:06 PM
I gotta say, it's really frustrating to see The Stranger use a Sound Transit board member's request to listen to national transit experts and actually answer one of the biggest outstanding questions about ST3 (after nine years!) as bludgeon during their endorsement of her opponent.
Reposted by constantine
Seattle deserves real action, not embellishment. I am running to bring real solutions to our homelessness crisis — not fudge the numbers. #thisisyourcity
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell is seeking reelection partly based on the claim he’s responsible for adding 3,000 emergency housing units. A deeper look reveals that’s an embellishment.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell says he added 3,000 housing units. Did he?
www.seattletimes.com
October 13, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Seattle deserves real action, not embellishment. I am running to bring real solutions to our homelessness crisis — not fudge the numbers. #thisisyourcity
Reposted by constantine
Common Seattle transit advocate W
And we have a backpedal from SDOT.
"[W]e are updating our approach to meet the changes requested by Metro to support Route 2, while continuing conversations and evaluations with all stakeholders before advancing changes to bus lane uses."
sdotblog.seattle.gov/2025/10/02/c...
"[W]e are updating our approach to meet the changes requested by Metro to support Route 2, while continuing conversations and evaluations with all stakeholders before advancing changes to bus lane uses."
sdotblog.seattle.gov/2025/10/02/c...
Capitol Hill Updates to Support Route 2’s Return to E Union St - SDOT Blog
Blog post providing information about updates to E Union St between 12th Ave and 11th Ave, in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood.
sdotblog.seattle.gov
October 2, 2025 at 11:05 PM
Common Seattle transit advocate W
Reposted by constantine
I was just as shocked with the news about the route 2 bus only lane as you. We are working on it. We need to prioritize pedestrian safety and not go backwards on our transit investments.
October 1, 2025 at 10:32 PM
I was just as shocked with the news about the route 2 bus only lane as you. We are working on it. We need to prioritize pedestrian safety and not go backwards on our transit investments.
Reposted by constantine
Public transit is a public good. Why are we wasting resources UNDOING investment in public goods??
NEW STORY // What’s Easier than Adding a Bus Lane in Seattle? Deleting One
www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/01/w...
www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/01/w...
What’s Easier than Adding a Bus Lane in Seattle? Deleting One » The Urbanist
# The City of Seattle will be removing an East Union Street bus only lane set aside for the Route 2 this weekend, ceding to requests from nearby property owners who have complained about traffic chang...
www.theurbanist.org
October 1, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Public transit is a public good. Why are we wasting resources UNDOING investment in public goods??
Reposted by constantine
While renters are "growth" that must be "mitigated" by requiring every part of the city to accept a fair share of them, house owners are "community" who deserve a veto over whether and how anyone else can live near them
September 18, 2025 at 7:13 PM
While renters are "growth" that must be "mitigated" by requiring every part of the city to accept a fair share of them, house owners are "community" who deserve a veto over whether and how anyone else can live near them
Reposted by constantine
Again, the desires of incumbent homeowners not to allow renters near them should not be the primary basis for land-use decisions that will determine where new residents can live, and whether existing residents who don't own houses will be able to stay here, for the next 20 years.
September 18, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Again, the desires of incumbent homeowners not to allow renters near them should not be the primary basis for land-use decisions that will determine where new residents can live, and whether existing residents who don't own houses will be able to stay here, for the next 20 years.
Reposted by constantine
one of the things i don't think anyone on council is really paying attention too:
the mayor's preferred alternative removes 20,000 dense and energy efficient apartments for 20,000 and inefficient townhomes and single family homes
higher emissions. more sprawl. less affordable homes.
the mayor's preferred alternative removes 20,000 dense and energy efficient apartments for 20,000 and inefficient townhomes and single family homes
higher emissions. more sprawl. less affordable homes.
September 15, 2025 at 5:18 AM
one of the things i don't think anyone on council is really paying attention too:
the mayor's preferred alternative removes 20,000 dense and energy efficient apartments for 20,000 and inefficient townhomes and single family homes
higher emissions. more sprawl. less affordable homes.
the mayor's preferred alternative removes 20,000 dense and energy efficient apartments for 20,000 and inefficient townhomes and single family homes
higher emissions. more sprawl. less affordable homes.
Reposted by constantine
I made an animated gif comparing the best possible zoning map we can implement (Alternative 5) and Mayor Harrell's proposed plan.
In short, Harrell undermined what would have been a transformative housing plan, betraying everyday Seattleites and leaving us with scraps.
#BruceHarrellTheHousingPeril
In short, Harrell undermined what would have been a transformative housing plan, betraying everyday Seattleites and leaving us with scraps.
#BruceHarrellTheHousingPeril
September 11, 2025 at 12:53 AM
I made an animated gif comparing the best possible zoning map we can implement (Alternative 5) and Mayor Harrell's proposed plan.
In short, Harrell undermined what would have been a transformative housing plan, betraying everyday Seattleites and leaving us with scraps.
#BruceHarrellTheHousingPeril
In short, Harrell undermined what would have been a transformative housing plan, betraying everyday Seattleites and leaving us with scraps.
#BruceHarrellTheHousingPeril
I’m gonna scream
After a drawn-out debate at the Sound Transit board last year over station placement in South Lake Union, the city's ST3 team is at the Design Commission this morning talking about the "advantages" of consolidating the future Denny and South Lake Union stations into one.
June 5, 2025 at 6:30 PM
I’m gonna scream
Reposted by constantine
Here’s a cheat sheet if you’re giving public comment in Seattle. We’d love for you to join us with unlimited unit density, unlimited FAR, 40’ height limits, reasonable setbacks, and 65% maximum lot coverage.
May 21, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Here’s a cheat sheet if you’re giving public comment in Seattle. We’d love for you to join us with unlimited unit density, unlimited FAR, 40’ height limits, reasonable setbacks, and 65% maximum lot coverage.
Such insane development patterns 😩
The ‘townhouses’ CM Moore contemplates here are the footprint of a handicapped parking space, and 3 stories- 25% smaller than a DADU with windows on one side. A code stairway doesn’t fit in one of these.
TRAGIC
TRAGIC
This is honestly the worst drawing I have ever seen lol. These are the people in charge. Amazing.
May 21, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Such insane development patterns 😩
Reposted by constantine
Reposted by constantine
There was only one amendment put forward last year to increase the amount of funding in the transportation levy for street trees - from CM Morales - and everyone but Cathy Moore voted against it.
This is insane. All great cities invest *heavily* in public, urban tree canopies. Leaving this to private homeowners to shoulder is both a dereliction by the city council and a nonsensical policy solution in light of climate change demands. #Seattle
The argument that street trees are bad, actually, has been the wildest part of this whole meeting, followed by the argument that Seattle's lack of density isn't a problem because there's a growth boundary somewhere way out there in rural King County
May 1, 2025 at 2:27 AM
There was only one amendment put forward last year to increase the amount of funding in the transportation levy for street trees - from CM Morales - and everyone but Cathy Moore voted against it.
Climate arsonists in our federal government and in our local government. Between this and the state government’s relentless drive to push through freeway expansions, I can’t help but feel sad.
Moore says: "it is disingenuous [to say] if we don't build density, then we're going to sprawl. We are constrained by the Growth Management Act. If we don't have density in Seattle, we're not going to sprawl out because we're constrained by state law. So, that's a red herring, frankly."
May 1, 2025 at 1:35 AM
Climate arsonists in our federal government and in our local government. Between this and the state government’s relentless drive to push through freeway expansions, I can’t help but feel sad.
Reposted by constantine
This isn't about partisanship – it's about having the courage to reject authoritarianism regardless of political expediency.
Seattle deserves leaders who will fight unapologetically for our way of life, not cozy up to those threatening it.
Seattle deserves leaders who will fight unapologetically for our way of life, not cozy up to those threatening it.
March 5, 2025 at 4:51 AM
This isn't about partisanship – it's about having the courage to reject authoritarianism regardless of political expediency.
Seattle deserves leaders who will fight unapologetically for our way of life, not cozy up to those threatening it.
Seattle deserves leaders who will fight unapologetically for our way of life, not cozy up to those threatening it.
Reposted by constantine
Seattle has written our comp plan such that future residents choice is between tiny apts w/1 window in 50+unit blocks or townhomes. The idea of airy livable flats in small multiplexes is so irrationally toxic to ‘neighborhood defenders’ we’re willing to sacrifice everything to keep useless sideyards
February 18, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Seattle has written our comp plan such that future residents choice is between tiny apts w/1 window in 50+unit blocks or townhomes. The idea of airy livable flats in small multiplexes is so irrationally toxic to ‘neighborhood defenders’ we’re willing to sacrifice everything to keep useless sideyards
😱😱😱😱😱
For you super nerds, the Final EIS on the Growth Strategy just dropped.
www.seattle.gov/opcd/one-sea...
www.seattle.gov/opcd/one-sea...
Project Documents - OPCD | seattle.gov
Project Documents
www.seattle.gov
January 30, 2025 at 2:14 AM
😱😱😱😱😱
Reposted by constantine
would be great if the city tied the rate to income
even better let citizens send in reports for a cut of the fine
even better let citizens send in reports for a cut of the fine
As of Wednesday, parking tickets could cost you, on average, anywhere from $43 to $78, depending on the violation. That’s up from the city’s previous parking fine range of $29 to $53.
New year, new penalties: Seattle parking fines up in 2025
With the new year comes increased parking fines for Seattle drivers. City officials say the hike in penalties — the first since 2011 — is to account for inflation.
www.kuow.org
January 2, 2025 at 8:04 PM
would be great if the city tied the rate to income
even better let citizens send in reports for a cut of the fine
even better let citizens send in reports for a cut of the fine
Reposted by constantine
sitting in a waiting room after some back and forth emails w/ a former client regarding townhomes - and my mind wandered to housing typologies we don't really have in the US (for a number of reasons)...
but what stood out to me was a question regarding stacked townhomes
but what stood out to me was a question regarding stacked townhomes
December 3, 2024 at 10:41 PM
sitting in a waiting room after some back and forth emails w/ a former client regarding townhomes - and my mind wandered to housing typologies we don't really have in the US (for a number of reasons)...
but what stood out to me was a question regarding stacked townhomes
but what stood out to me was a question regarding stacked townhomes
Reposted by constantine
At its final meeting, the Move Seattle levy oversight committee approved a letter blasting the City Council for a budget amendment putting a proviso on half of the incoming transportation levy's 2025 funding, suggesting that it could be used to "hold levy funds hostage" for CM-specific priorities.
December 4, 2024 at 2:06 AM
At its final meeting, the Move Seattle levy oversight committee approved a letter blasting the City Council for a budget amendment putting a proviso on half of the incoming transportation levy's 2025 funding, suggesting that it could be used to "hold levy funds hostage" for CM-specific priorities.