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Whether you are a gardener, an Outlander fan, a West Seattle resident, or someone tuning in for the latest episode of Sound Transit and West Seattle Bridge drama, I hope you find something useful here.
Blog Posts


Here's Why West Seattle Needs a Comprehensive Transit Plan
Outside the well served transit hubs, at the Alaska Junction and Westwood Village, West Seattle residents have hit-or-miss transit options.
Marie McKinsey
Mar 24, 202418 min read
698 views
0 comments


Could Amazon Save Westwood Village?
Let's think outside the box. Instead of a big retail anchor at Westwood Village, why not a big tech company? Amazon has all the resources ne
Marie McKinsey
Nov 26, 20235 min read
2,051 views
0 comments


West Seattle's Citizen Urban Planners
Did you know that Seattle's Comprehensive Plan is being updated? Do you even know what the Comprehensive Plan is? If you answered "no" to on
Marie McKinsey
Mar 11, 202310 min read
213 views
0 comments


My Comments on Sound Transit's Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
I am posting my comments here for two reasons:
1) According to "the rules," comments submitted by April 28th that address specific sections
Marie McKinsey
Apr 24, 20229 min read
312 views
0 comments


How Many West Seattle Businesses Will We Lose Because of Sound Transit's Light Rail?
Sound Transit's light rail extension to West Seattle will mean the closure or relocation of many businesses. How many and which ones?
Marie McKinsey
Apr 16, 20223 min read
4,003 views
1 comment

"Because We Said So" - The Latest Episode of West Seattle Bridge Drama
When I posted last week's article about the new season of West Seattle Bridge Drama, I thought, "Hey, that's it now, I'm going to go do some
Marie McKinsey
Apr 10, 20225 min read
846 views
0 comments


When It Comes To Transit, Think Small
Think Small. This simple ad, which ran in the 1960s, was part of one of the most successful campaigns of all time. It was clever.
Marie McKinsey
Feb 5, 20225 min read
173 views
2 comments


Find Out by Zip Code How Much CO2 Your Neighborhood Emits
We've heard for decades that increasing population density is good for the environment. The theory is that it discourages suburban sprawl,
Marie McKinsey
Sep 24, 20212 min read
224 views
0 comments


WTF Is a Woonerf? And Where Can We Put One in West Seattle?
Woonerf, a Dutch word, is translated as "a living yard." It is a street where car use is limited in favor of green space and room for pedest
Marie McKinsey
Sep 19, 20212 min read
433 views
1 comment


The Alki 11 Row House Project: Density Done Wrong
In 2013, a developer announced plans to replace these three beach houses with an 11-unit row house project in the Alki Beach neighborhood.
Marie McKinsey
Jun 5, 20212 min read
127 views
2 comments


SkyLink: Rising Above It All In West Seattle
Did you know that trains don't run uphill? It's true. On level ground, those smooth metal wheels glide along those smooth metal rails,...
Marie McKinsey
May 18, 20214 min read
372 views
0 comments


West Seattle's Affordable Housing Crisis
Is "crisis" too strong a word for the state of affordable housing in West Seattle?
Marie McKinsey
May 14, 20216 min read
1,320 views
6 comments


The Alaska Junction in West Seattle: A 15-minute City?
Can West Seattle's Alaska Junction become a 15-minute city?
Marie McKinsey
May 7, 20215 min read
3,055 views
6 comments


Little Boxes Made of Ticky Tacky
I grew up in San Francisco's East Bay area, in the 1950s. My early memories are of orchards, vineyards and farm fields that grew every kind
Marie McKinsey
Feb 13, 20211 min read
124 views
0 comments


The Sustainable Alternative to the Alki 11
I wrote this when I had become tired of pointing out the problems with this project. Our protests fell on deaf ears anyway. It was clear tha
Marie McKinsey
Jul 13, 20134 min read
90 views
0 comments
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