Rian Watt
@rianwatt.bsky.social
ED @eoionline.bsky.social ⚖️• formerly ending homelessness @ Community Solutions 🏡 • former ED, current board @theurbanist.org 🌃 • board @futurewise.bsky.social 🏔 • opinions mine, bad • curious • he/him
Reposted by Rian Watt
One week on @theurbanist.org:
-Two original Sound Transit stories
-Two fully reported Seattle budget stories
-Dispatches from both Clyde Hill & Kirkland
-One story about Katie Wilson's transition team
And a book review!
I know I'm biased, but I really think we punch above our weight.
-Two original Sound Transit stories
-Two fully reported Seattle budget stories
-Dispatches from both Clyde Hill & Kirkland
-One story about Katie Wilson's transition team
And a book review!
I know I'm biased, but I really think we punch above our weight.
November 22, 2025 at 12:31 AM
One week on @theurbanist.org:
-Two original Sound Transit stories
-Two fully reported Seattle budget stories
-Dispatches from both Clyde Hill & Kirkland
-One story about Katie Wilson's transition team
And a book review!
I know I'm biased, but I really think we punch above our weight.
-Two original Sound Transit stories
-Two fully reported Seattle budget stories
-Dispatches from both Clyde Hill & Kirkland
-One story about Katie Wilson's transition team
And a book review!
I know I'm biased, but I really think we punch above our weight.
Reposted by Rian Watt
I'm so excited for The Urbanist to roll into 2026 at full strength, covering new admins at the city and county and major stories elsewhere, including at Sound Transit.
I hope you'll consider joining us at our holiday party to support that work. It's also fun!
www.eventbrite.com/e/the-urbani...
I hope you'll consider joining us at our holiday party to support that work. It's also fun!
www.eventbrite.com/e/the-urbani...
The Urbanist Winter Holiday Party
Come celebrate the holidays with The Urbanist team, elected officials, and urbanist community members!
www.eventbrite.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:09 AM
I'm so excited for The Urbanist to roll into 2026 at full strength, covering new admins at the city and county and major stories elsewhere, including at Sound Transit.
I hope you'll consider joining us at our holiday party to support that work. It's also fun!
www.eventbrite.com/e/the-urbani...
I hope you'll consider joining us at our holiday party to support that work. It's also fun!
www.eventbrite.com/e/the-urbani...
when will Seattle's Democrat Council President cease her unrelenting war on Christians
The tenuous decorum between Bruce Harrell’s office and Sara Nelson is evaporating, as Nelson goes after Harrell’s political consultant with new proposed legislation. Harrell’s team and consultant Christian Sinderman call it a misguided priority by a sore loser
www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
Sara Nelson wants to restrict political consultants at Seattle City Hall
Outgoing Seattle Council President Sara Nelson is proposing a bill that would restrict access to City Hall.
www.seattletimes.com
November 19, 2025 at 5:46 PM
when will Seattle's Democrat Council President cease her unrelenting war on Christians
Supporter’s Shield but for baseball is a great idea.
If you expand to 32 teams you can also do a balanced 186-game schedule where each team plays every other team three games home and three away each year.
You can do an October tournament with the top four for fun.
If you expand to 32 teams you can also do a balanced 186-game schedule where each team plays every other team three games home and three away each year.
You can do an October tournament with the top four for fun.
this isn't to put someone who doesn't care about baseball on blast, they don't need to care. but this kinda stuff just goes to my point about how the league needs to make the regular season matter *on its own*. Not as a prelude to the playoffs. It should get its own trophy, ceremony, etc.
October 19, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Supporter’s Shield but for baseball is a great idea.
If you expand to 32 teams you can also do a balanced 186-game schedule where each team plays every other team three games home and three away each year.
You can do an October tournament with the top four for fun.
If you expand to 32 teams you can also do a balanced 186-game schedule where each team plays every other team three games home and three away each year.
You can do an October tournament with the top four for fun.
Reposted by Rian Watt
This baseball game has officially outlasted the NWSL match next door that started 2 1/2 hours after it
October 11, 2025 at 4:35 AM
This baseball game has officially outlasted the NWSL match next door that started 2 1/2 hours after it
Reposted by Rian Watt
peace be with Adam Wainwright as he tries to get his coworker to make a different point in the meeting
October 11, 2025 at 4:07 AM
peace be with Adam Wainwright as he tries to get his coworker to make a different point in the meeting
It's not an exaggeration to say that @typewriteralley.bsky.social is the only reporter in the region who could write this story in quite this way.
Please consider donating to @theurbanist.org to help support our work. theurbanist.org/donate
www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/10/h...
Please consider donating to @theurbanist.org to help support our work. theurbanist.org/donate
www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/10/h...
How Ballard and West Seattle Light Rail Became a $30 Billion Undertaking » The Urbanist
# Since voters approved West Seattle and Ballard Link in 2016, the two projects have been caught in a perfect storm of factors that led to the eye-popping cost estimates that we have today. While the ...
www.theurbanist.org
October 11, 2025 at 2:16 AM
It's not an exaggeration to say that @typewriteralley.bsky.social is the only reporter in the region who could write this story in quite this way.
Please consider donating to @theurbanist.org to help support our work. theurbanist.org/donate
www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/10/h...
Please consider donating to @theurbanist.org to help support our work. theurbanist.org/donate
www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/10/h...
Five years ago, for the 10th World Homelessness Day, I wrote this brief call to action. Five years gone and little progress. But I stand by each word:
community.solutions/homelessness...
community.solutions/homelessness...
We can end homelessness, and therefore we should
World Homeless Day reminds us that it is possible to end homelessness.
community.solutions
October 10, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Five years ago, for the 10th World Homelessness Day, I wrote this brief call to action. Five years gone and little progress. But I stand by each word:
community.solutions/homelessness...
community.solutions/homelessness...
If Bruce Harrell's case for re-election is his management experience, what should we make of two separate instances in the last week of city decisions made under his watch being immediately reversed after huge community blowback?
October 9, 2025 at 10:12 PM
If Bruce Harrell's case for re-election is his management experience, what should we make of two separate instances in the last week of city decisions made under his watch being immediately reversed after huge community blowback?
Extraordinarily thoughtful and nuanced from one of Seattle’s best, Marcus Harrison Greene:
southseattleemerald.org/voices/2025/...
southseattleemerald.org/voices/2025/...
COLUMN | What This Mayoral Election Owes 'Black Seattle'
From City Hall to the Central District, Seattle's mayoral race raises deeper questions: Who speaks for "Black Seattle," and what does real representation look like beyond the ballot? Marcus Harrison G...
southseattleemerald.org
October 9, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Extraordinarily thoughtful and nuanced from one of Seattle’s best, Marcus Harrison Greene:
southseattleemerald.org/voices/2025/...
southseattleemerald.org/voices/2025/...
It is 8 am on Saturday at Madison/12th/Union and … no work crews in sight 😊 What a beautiful sight, thanks to so many transportation advocates!
October 4, 2025 at 3:08 PM
It is 8 am on Saturday at Madison/12th/Union and … no work crews in sight 😊 What a beautiful sight, thanks to so many transportation advocates!
Reposted by Rian Watt
Harrell needs to pick up any anti-fascist/anti-authoritarian book, quickly. Radical hope, love, resistance, and a bold social program are the only hope we have to combat fascism. Telling people to not hope is dangerous.
Bruce Harrell makes his closing statement for why he should keep his job after his poor performance as Seattle Mayor and this line says it all.
"This is not the time to hope."
"This is not the time to hope."
October 2, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Harrell needs to pick up any anti-fascist/anti-authoritarian book, quickly. Radical hope, love, resistance, and a bold social program are the only hope we have to combat fascism. Telling people to not hope is dangerous.
Reposted by Rian Watt
I take no credit here and will transfer my kudos to @csgreenways.bsky.social volunteers who have been piling on the pressure
October 3, 2025 at 12:07 AM
I take no credit here and will transfer my kudos to @csgreenways.bsky.social volunteers who have been piling on the pressure
Incredible mobilization by so many to make this happen, including @typewriteralley.bsky.social and @alexis4seattle.bsky.social and @gordonofseattle.bsky.social and many others.
NEW STORY // SDOT Backpedals on Plans for Capitol Hill Bus Lane Removal
www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/02/s...
www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/02/s...
SDOT Backpedals on Plans for Capitol Hill Bus Lane Removal » The Urbanist
# Work will continue on upgrades to E Union Street that will allow Route 2 buses to return to the corridor, but the idea of reopening the street to all westbound traffic has been taken off the table -...
www.theurbanist.org
October 3, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Incredible mobilization by so many to make this happen, including @typewriteralley.bsky.social and @alexis4seattle.bsky.social and @gordonofseattle.bsky.social and many others.
Spotted at the 150 stop: Week Without Driving champion Jorge Barón!
October 1, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Spotted at the 150 stop: Week Without Driving champion Jorge Barón!
I live near this stop. It is the way I plan to get to downtown or Seattle Center. I was not asked before the lane was deleted. Process for me but not for thee.
Who did SDOT listen to? Business and property owners.
Why? Because drivers from *Madrona and the Eastside* are complaining about the new traffic pattern on Madison Street.
Why? Because drivers from *Madrona and the Eastside* are complaining about the new traffic pattern on Madison Street.
October 1, 2025 at 2:59 PM
I live near this stop. It is the way I plan to get to downtown or Seattle Center. I was not asked before the lane was deleted. Process for me but not for thee.
At a bare minimum we should require disclosure of any use of ChatGPT for official business. Excellent reporting from @cascadepbsnewsroom.bsky.social .
Have you ever wondered if government leaders are writing things with ChatGPT?
Through records requests, I obtained thousands of pages of chat histories from city officials in Washington.
The logs show widespread use of AI — with little transparency:
www.cascadepbs.org/news/2025/08...
Through records requests, I obtained thousands of pages of chat histories from city officials in Washington.
The logs show widespread use of AI — with little transparency:
www.cascadepbs.org/news/2025/08...
Washington city officials are using ChatGPT for government work
Records show that public servants have used generative AI to write emails to constituents, mayoral letters, policy documents and more
www.cascadepbs.org
August 27, 2025 at 3:14 PM
At a bare minimum we should require disclosure of any use of ChatGPT for official business. Excellent reporting from @cascadepbsnewsroom.bsky.social .
Reposted by Rian Watt
The main thing they’re using DHS for is a continual, indefinite effort to expand the population of those who they can effectively treat as beyond legal rights and protections.
August 11, 2025 at 4:32 PM
The main thing they’re using DHS for is a continual, indefinite effort to expand the population of those who they can effectively treat as beyond legal rights and protections.
Friday afternoon, @thestranger.com let me make an obvious but important point: If progressives don't use their time in power to clear away structural barriers to progress, they'll be at risk of getting swept out again in four years:
www.thestranger.com/guest-editor...
www.thestranger.com/guest-editor...
Guest Rant: Seattle Progressives Won Big Tuesday, Now Comes the Hard Part
Seattle progressives like Erika Evans, Dionne Foster, Alexis Mercedes Rinck and Katie Wilson won big in Tuesday's primary elections. Now they have to eliminate the structural barriers in the way of th...
www.thestranger.com
August 11, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Friday afternoon, @thestranger.com let me make an obvious but important point: If progressives don't use their time in power to clear away structural barriers to progress, they'll be at risk of getting swept out again in four years:
www.thestranger.com/guest-editor...
www.thestranger.com/guest-editor...
Reposted by Rian Watt
The broken Seattle Process™️ prevents elected officials from delivering for constituents, and helps fuel cynicism in local government.
August 6, 2025 at 4:39 PM
The broken Seattle Process™️ prevents elected officials from delivering for constituents, and helps fuel cynicism in local government.
Last night was a huge win for Seattle's progressive values.
The real test, though, will be delivering once in office. If the folks we elect in November can't actually deliver policy wins for everyday people once in office, they'll be subject to the same homeostatic, anti-incumbent forces in 2029.
The real test, though, will be delivering once in office. If the folks we elect in November can't actually deliver policy wins for everyday people once in office, they'll be subject to the same homeostatic, anti-incumbent forces in 2029.
August 6, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Last night was a huge win for Seattle's progressive values.
The real test, though, will be delivering once in office. If the folks we elect in November can't actually deliver policy wins for everyday people once in office, they'll be subject to the same homeostatic, anti-incumbent forces in 2029.
The real test, though, will be delivering once in office. If the folks we elect in November can't actually deliver policy wins for everyday people once in office, they'll be subject to the same homeostatic, anti-incumbent forces in 2029.
it’s me, i’m Random People
and also posts random people who support her
August 6, 2025 at 5:17 AM
it’s me, i’m Random People
Reposted by Rian Watt
The mood is jubilant at Katie Wilson's primary election night party. Wilson is leading Harrell 46.2% to 44.8% in early results.
August 6, 2025 at 3:10 AM
The mood is jubilant at Katie Wilson's primary election night party. Wilson is leading Harrell 46.2% to 44.8% in early results.