Seattle City Council Changes Single-Family Zoning Name, But Not Substance

The name change to "neighborhood residential zoning" is meant to more accurately reflect the city's diverse neighborhoods, but the new legislation does not change permitted uses.

2 minute read

October 12, 2021, 12:00 PM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


High Point, Seattle

Brett VA / Flickr

Last week, Seattle's city council voted to change the name of the city's single-family neighborhoods from "single-family zoning" to "neighborhood residential zoning." The council says they made the name change "so that our planning documents reflect the true character of Seattle neighborhoods, diverse housing, small businesses, and many different types of households."

The change reflects "a recommendation laid out in a 2018 report from the Seattle Planning Commission called 'Neighborhoods for All,'" but the legislation makes no changes to land use in these neighborhoods. According to the text of the law, the legislation is explicitly "not intended to have a substantive effect on the uses permitted" but simply to reflect the "vibrant neighborhoods" that already exist. Bill co-sponsor Councilmember Dan Strauss said the bill "does not change the uses, the height, bulk or scale of buildings in these areas."

Advocates of zoning reform are disappointed with the symbolic step. "A name change would not address harmful zoning or bring forth the mixed-zoning plans many housing justice advocates swear by. But [Councilmember and bill sponsor Teresa] Mosqueda’s office said that updating to more accurate language is an important step in grounding future, more meaningful changes to zoning laws in anticipation of the Comprehensive Plan update." The commission's report "calls for more than just the name change: it also recommends that more housing types be allowed within single-family zones" to relieve the housing crunch and provide more opportunities for affordable housing.

Tuesday, October 5, 2021 in The Stranger

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 11, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Metrorail train pulling into newly opened subterranean station in Washington, D.C. with crowd on platform taking photos.

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”

The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

June 2, 2025 - The Hill

Large crowd on street in San Francisco, California during Oktoberfest festival.

The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns

In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.

June 2, 2025 - Robbie Silver

Ohio State Senate building nwith modern downtown Columbus skyscrapers in background.

Proposed Ohio Budget Preserves Housing Trust Fund

The Senate-approved budget also creates two new programs aimed at encouraging housing construction.

15 minutes ago - Ohio Capital Journal

Two children and an adult looking out over railing at Grand Canyon.

DOJ Says Trump Has Power to Roll Back National Monuments

The opinion sheds light on how the administration may justify its effort to eliminate protected public lands.

1 hour ago - Inside Climate News

Aerial view of Camden Station train station in Baltimore, Maryland. Train station is brick neoclassical building with three-tier tower.

Maryland Awards $1.25M in TOD-Related Grants

The state’s DOT is funding projects that prepare sites around transit stations for future mixed-use development and housing.

2 hours ago - The Baltimore Banner