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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

Marie McKinsey

Mar 2418 min read

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.

673 views0 comments

Marie McKinsey

Nov 26, 20235 min read

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

2,038 views0 comments

Marie McKinsey

Mar 11, 202310 min read

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

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My Comments on Sound Transit's Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)

Marie McKinsey

Apr 24, 20229 min read

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

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How Many West Seattle Businesses Will We Lose Because of Sound Transit's Light Rail?

Marie McKinsey

Apr 16, 20223 min read

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?

3,972 views1 comment

"Because We Said So" - The Latest Episode of West Seattle Bridge Drama

Marie McKinsey

Apr 10, 20225 min read

"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

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Marie McKinsey

Feb 5, 20225 min read

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.

168 views2 comments

Find Out by Zip Code How Much CO2 Your Neighborhood Emits

Marie McKinsey

Sep 24, 20212 min read

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,

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WTF Is a Woonerf? And Where Can We Put One in West Seattle?

Marie McKinsey

Sep 19, 20212 min read

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

432 views1 comment

The Alki 11 Row House Project: Density Done Wrong

Marie McKinsey

Jun 5, 20212 min read

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.

118 views2 comments

SkyLink: Rising Above It All In West Seattle

Marie McKinsey

May 18, 20214 min read

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,...

371 views0 comments

West Seattle's Affordable Housing Crisis

Marie McKinsey

May 14, 20216 min read

West Seattle's Affordable Housing Crisis

Is "crisis" too strong a word for the state of affordable housing in West Seattle?

1,316 views6 comments

The Alaska Junction in West Seattle: A 15-minute City?

Marie McKinsey

May 7, 20215 min read

The Alaska Junction in West Seattle: A 15-minute City?

Can West Seattle's Alaska Junction become a 15-minute city?

3,017 views6 comments

Marie McKinsey

Feb 13, 20211 min read

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

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The Sustainable Alternative to the Alki 11

Marie McKinsey

Jul 13, 20134 min read

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

57 views0 comments