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Crosscut articles of the past 10 days with the most clicks.

Mossback

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Oregon envy: Can a Seattleite turn green wishing to be there?

Posted Wed, Feb 3, 2 a.m.

By Knute Berger

Much as I hate to admit it, Portland and Oregonians come closer to the Northwest ideal than we do.

Seattle's sister city: Pompeii?

Posted Thu, Jan 28, 2 a.m.

By Knute Berger

Nothing motivates like fear itself, but in Seattle, where potential natural catastrophes abound, the politics of safety can both be overplayed and underplayed. Knowing which is tough.

Mike McGinn era: saying less, polling more, spending less

Posted Wed, Jan 27, 2 a.m.

By Knute Berger

A brown-bag lunch with the media gives a peek into some challenges that face the new mayor and the city, and how he plans on conducting himself.

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That was the week that sucked

Posted Fri, Jan 22, 1:22 p.m.

By Knute Berger

Seven days that liberals should never forget, much less repeat.

The Great American Slowdown

Posted Wed, Jan 20, 2 a.m.

By Knute Berger

We're less mobile and more place-bound, and it's not just the recession that's slowing restless America's nomadic habits. This is good news for Seattle, the environment, and mossbacks.

Blogging about your bungled bungalow

Posted Thu, Jan 14, 2 a.m.

By Knute Berger

In Seattle and Olympia, new blogs are trying to reshape public opinion about historic preservation by focusing on successes, failures, and hidden architectural influences. Who knew the prevalence of the geodesic dome?

U.S. can still lose face at world's fair

Posted Tue, Jan 12, 2 a.m.

By Knute Berger

The biggest Shanghai surprise so far is how U.S. participation in China's Expo 2010, once in doubt, has been saved by Hillary Clinton's prodigious fund-raising ability. But it's not the whole story.

The Fat Lady often sings for historic stadiums

Posted Thu, Jan 7, 2 a.m.

By Knute Berger

While Portland preservationists fight to save their historic Coliseum, another sports venue is destined for a cheesy end.

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Will the book survive?

Posted Wed, Jan 6, 2 a.m.

By Knute Berger

Jeff Bezos envisions a Kindle-only world, but ink-on-paper books still have a place, including helping to build better cities.

Best of 2009: What would Jane Jacobs do about the Viaduct?

Posted Wed, Dec 30, 10:12 p.m.

By Knute Berger

The patron saint of livable, walkable cities is being invoked on both sides of the debate over Seattle's Viaduct solution. Would Jacobs be a tunnel supporter, or a surface option fan?

Best of 2009: Does 'smart growth' also create more sprawl?

Posted Wed, Dec 30, 2 a.m.

By Knute Berger

Urban density, a Seattle and Portland mantra, is supposed to constrain sprawl, but a new analysis suggests that vital, dense cities produce bigger suburbs too.

Heritage Turkeys of the Year

Posted Tue, Dec 29, 2 a.m.

By Knute Berger

Awards for the worst setbacks in Northwest historic preservation for 2009.

Best of 2009: Six things you cannot say in Seattle

Posted Thu, Dec 24, 6 a.m.

By Knute Berger

Seattle doesn’t like to say No. (Look how many times we tried to say Yes to the monorail.) But that doesn’t mean we’re a city without no-nos.

Seven steps for 'saving' Pioneer Square

Posted Mon, Dec 21, 2 a.m.

By Knute Berger

Some are easy, other seem impossible, but a "to-do" list is necessary to help rejuvenate Seattle's urban and cultural treasure.

As the world once turned

Posted Fri, Dec 18, 2 a.m.

By Knute Berger

A soap opera star from Seattle has a career arc matching the rise and fall of one of TV's most durable genres.

Arresting Baby Jesus

Posted Tue, Dec 15, 2 a.m.

By Knute Berger

Knute Berger says it’s time to end the silliness around the annual War on Christmas.

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Flight of the Concorde

Posted Wed, Dec 9, 2 a.m.

By Knute Berger

Twenty-five years ago, the supersonic future visited Seattle. It thrilled us all, especially those of us on board. But the legacy turned out to be a surprise.

A storm that still carries a sting

Posted Wed, Dec 2, 2 a.m.

By Knute Berger

WTO, the media and the unfinished business of the Battle in Seattle.

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The birth of modern Seattle

Posted Fri, Nov 27, 2 a.m.

By Knute Berger

How the 1909 World's Fair, and the 100th anniversary of that fair, have led to a greater understanding of the best and worst of our city. Seattle was built on a foundation of progress, racism, and a carnival of wonders.

Gregoire's budget crisis PowerPoint

Posted Mon, Nov 23, 6 a.m.

By Knute Berger

Washington's governor outlines the challenges of the next round of massive budget cuts. The going will get tough, but perhaps the tough should get going after those who can help with the bottom line, like tax-dodger Microsoft.

Duwumps

An early name for Seattle was Duwumps, which reminds us of a time before civic pretension, "world-class" ambitions, and over-priced coffee. In that spirit, this news is collected as an antidote to Seattle hype. If you see stories that aid the cause of Lesser Seattle — or more positively, Greater Duwumps — send them to Mossback.