UDF: New Urbanism, History, and Urbanism - Single Family in Seattle
When it comes to housing, Seattle is constrained by its zoning. Not only is housing in Seattle geographically constrained, but, more significantly it is constrained by the limited number of housing units allowed in its single family zones. This artificial constraint on land available for housing (in combination with Seattle’s inability to build enough housing to keep up with job growth) has increased the cost of housing in the region and pushed citizens further out from our city’s urban/service nodes.
The vision of what single family could be in Seattle has not been well-defined and many existing single family residents are concerned about changes that could happen. This forum will present ideas about how single family in Seattle could evolve to allow access by more of the city’s citizens, drawing from historical context, New Urbanism, and contemporary “urbanist” thinking and will subsequently open up to the audience for discussion about concerns and opportunities related to redefining single family zoning in Seattle.
If we do not find a way to get existing neighbors on board, we will never create the political will to revise our single family zones.
Speakers
- Laurence Qamar, AIA, Qamar Architecture & Town Planning, Principal bio
- Jeff Ochsner, FAIA, Univ. of Washington Department of Architecture, Professor bio
- Lesley Bain, FAIA, Framework, Principal and Co Founder bio
All non-construction tours are ADA accessible, with an accessible restroom. Presented by AIA Seattle’s Urban Design Forum. Contact Connor Descheemaker with any questions.
