Katie Wilson's 'Taller Denser Faster' Plan Starts to Get Fleshed Out

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

After explicitly campaigning on tackling restrictive zoning regulations in the name of housing affordability, Mayor Katie Wilson is advancing her Taller Denser Faster zoning update to allow more types of housing across Seattle.

Though the broad contours of her "Taller Denser Faster" plan were announced last month, its full scope is continuing to be fleshed out. Last week, the Seattle City Council considered a resolution that would give councilmembers a chance to buy in on the plan – and influence it.

The resolution makes clear the ways in which Wilson's administration will build on the growth plan developed under former Mayor Bruce Harrell. That plan had taken a step beyond the 1990s "urban village" model that focused density within a relatively small share of Seattle's footprint, but still steered clear of much of the city.

In contrast, the resolution directs the City's Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) to look at both new and expanded growth centers, study zoning changes "within walking distance of frequent transit stops, including areas not directly adjacent to major arterials," and to consider implementation of House Bill 1491, Washington's transit-oriented development bill, well before a state-imposed deadline of 2029.

https://www.theurbanist.org/katie-wilsons-taller-denser-faster-plan-starts-fleshed-out/

[The Blue Flower]

1. The city ruined my neighborhood

They stopped zoning for single-family homes. Buyers then bought houses, razed them to the ground, and built townhouses from one edge of the property to the other. They were expensive, three-story structures with rooms too small for a standard amount of furniture. Front and backyards disappeared. Foot and car traffic became overwhelming. It was a charming, old neighborhood when I moved in in 2000. Tidy yards and homes. Businesses that had survived for decades. Many of these were torn down and replaced by highrise apartments and condos. People lost their housing, and homelessness exploded. Higher, denser, and faster solved nothing. Oh, I moved out and relocated to Virginia.