Category Archives: Residential

How Seattle’s Mandatory Affordable Housing Program Will Work

The Seattle City Council is considering a mandatory affordable housing program linked to commercial developments. The program is no longer just a commercial “linkage fee” (otherwise known as an “impact fee” in Washington state), and now consists of two options: developers … Continue reading

Posted in Commercial, Housing, Land Use, Policy, Residential | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Key HALA Recommendations for Seattle’s Affordable Housing Future

The Seattle City Council is considering recommendations to increase the city’s amount and variety of affordable housing options. Over the past year, the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda Advisory Committee (HALA) has been working to develop land use and housing … Continue reading

Posted in Housing, Land Use, Parking, Policy, Residential, Transportation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mayor’s Housing Committee Proposes Modifying Seattle’s Single-Family Zoning

On Tuesday afternoon the Seattle Times’ Danny Westneat broke the news (in an inflammatory manner) that Mayor Ed Murray’s committee on housing may recommend making changes to the city’s single-family zoning. If the idea lands on the committee’s final set of recommendations, … Continue reading

Posted in Density, Housing, Land Use, Policy, Residential | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Residents Protest Lowrise Height Limits

A 2010 change to Seattle’s Lowrise 3 (LR3) zoning designation hasn’t sparked much public interest until now, when the economy has picked up and developers are taking advantage of increased height limits for new multi-family buildings. Residents in neighborhoods with … Continue reading

Posted in Demographics, Government, Housing, Land Use, Policy, Residential | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

(re)Building Resilient Communities

As the impacts of climate change become more noticeable around the world, planners and politicians are taking steps to reinforce their cities against natural disasters. Though climate scientists stress that no single weather event can be attributed to climate change, … Continue reading

Posted in Climate, Government, Housing, Land Use, Landscape, Megaprojects, Policy, Residential, Resources, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments