Plans and Policy

Seattle already has draft legislation that would go a long toward implementing the state mandate to allow "co-living" micro-apartments this year, but there are some aspects that may need fine-tuning by the city council or another round of legislation next year to comply.

Seattle needs to allow more housing in today's single family zones if it's serious about its housing crisis. Strict multiplex size restrictions need to go from the Mayor's growth plan.

With a 24% raise and backpay, Seattle police officers are collectively earning an extra $96 million in compensation from the City in 2024. City leaders hope to spur hiring, but the contract did little to increase police accountability and blew a bigger hole in the City's quarter-billion-dollar budget deficit.

The path forward is clear: a revised and ambitious Comprehensive Plan that should reform zoning rules and housing policies to allow more homes of all shapes and sizes; and incentivize affordable housing and homeownership.

From e-bike rebates to congestion pricing, policy should incentivize healthy, eco-friendly choices. These six ideas can achieve a dramatic mode shift away from driving and toward transit, biking, walking, and rolling.

Comment on the draft Seattle Comprehensive Plan by May 20. Housing advocates have urged the City to adopt the "Housing Abundance Map" rather than keep exclusionary zoning.

Land use policy is a powerful tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change. So why isn’t it a bigger part of the policy debate? This four-part 'Land Use and Climate Change' series explores that question.

Research has showed the promise of guaranteed basic income programs to interrupt the cycle of poverty, and participants in King County's pilot program told The Urbanist that it had helped them improve their circumstances.