NOTE: This is an archived comment helper from the previous Scoping Phase (2022) of the Seattle 2024 Comprehensive Plan.
We wrote an independent report analyzing the public comments during this EIS Scoping Phase.

Scoping Phase: Seattle Alternative 6 Comment Helper

A Seattle Comprehensive Plan madlibs customizable by you. A project of Share The Cities.

Introduction

Use the template below to write a comment for the scoping phase of Seattle's 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update. Fill in the blanks with options we've provided or come up with your own!

In this phase, the city decides the range of land use possibilities it should study and eventually implement. The city has proposed 5 alternatives ranging from no change (Alternative 1) to allowing a bit more multi-family housing in some areas (Alternatives 2-5).

We believe that none of these alternatives go far enough and thus call for an Alternative 6. Join us!

If you want to learn more about Seattle's Comprehensive Plan Update process, check out this flyer and other additional resources.

Step 1 of 2: Generate Comment

select one from below

I am a renter in

Your neighborhood

I am housing unstable / living unhoused in

Your neighborhood

I am a homeowner in

Your neighborhood

I am a

Your profession

I have been priced out of Seattle

I am a long-time Seattle resident

I am a new resident of Seattle

I am a grandparent who wishes their grandkids could live closer

I grew up in Seattle

and I believe that Seattle needs to create an Alternative 6 option for the 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update.

Of the current options, Alternative 5 is the bare minimum, but will still not be enough to resolve the many crises our city faces and will certainly not be enough to create a

select any from below

vibrant

equitable

sustainable

diverse

place to live into the future.

A much better option would be an Alternative 6, which at a minimum would:

If the city of Seattle adopted this proposed Alternative 6 option, then we would be able to:

The other options (Alternatives 1-5) fall short for many reasons, including the following:

select any from below

- Seattle already faces a housing shortage of dire proportions and none of the current options allow enough housing to be built throughout the city.

- The current options maintain Seattle's failed "arterial focused development" Urban Village strategies, which have forced almost all existing multi-family homes to be located on noisy, polluted roads. Equitable growth means the entire city can grow together, rather than concentrating narrow pockets of development.

- The current options entrench the status quo of allowing new housing in only a few select areas of the city, thus also continuing the status quo of segregating people into different neighborhoods by income and allowing new housing primarily along existing arterials, which has well documented negative health effects. This is especially salient in its consequences for child health, as most new families will need housing more affordable than what is currently available in Seattle.

- Seattle needs many more types of housing than currently exist or that the current alternatives allow for. We need a lot more denser housing that is close to green space, amenities, jobs, and transit.

- Seattle is decades behind having enough housing for everyone. None of the current options allow enough housing to be built throughout the city.

- Seattle's current zoning has failed to create equitable growth, displacing people from historically marginalized communities and creating worse health outcomes. Alternatives 1-5 would perpetuate this failure.

- Seattle already faces a housing shortage of dire proportions, stemming from massive population and job growth over the past decade-as well as from insufficient housing production and planning, for a much longer period. The current alternatives don't do nearly enough to make up for this past underproduction.

The city of

select one from below

Seoul, one of the densest but also greenest cities in the world with almost 30% green space and a population of almost 10 million,

Vienna, where more than 60% of the city’s residents live in social housing and homelessness is not an issue,

Singapore, where 80% of the city’s residents live in housing developed and managed by the government and parks/gardens occupy 47% of the land even while accommodating almost 6 million people,

Your favorite model city

is a good example of what I would most like Seattle to become. Here is a link to a picture of this city:

Link to model city example photo

Please study this proposed Alternative 6 so that we can truly begin to solve the housing, homelessness, climate, inequality, and affordability crises in Seattle.

Step 2 of 2: Submit Comment

Make any edits or additions (especially your personal story) within the box above. When you are done, go to One Seattle's comment portal and click "submit a comment" on the right hand side.

If you don't have an account yet, you'll need to create one before proceeding (see note below). If you already have one, you'll need to log in.

Copy-paste your comment into the description box. Start the title of the comment with “Alternative 6” and then add whatever else you want.

If you don't want to create an account: We encourage you to create an account so that you can upload your inspirational density day dreams to the official hub for us to upvote. You can, however, also email your comment directly to the Seattle planning department instead: brennon.staley@seattle.gov.

BONUS Step 3: Upvote Existing Comments

Upvote and/or reply to other comments you like, including your own! See all comments here.

A non-exhaustive list of comments we've upvoted