Opinion: Voters Deserve to See the Draft ‘One Seattle’ Plan

Despite a promise to release a draft comprehensive plan update in April and with elections in less than a week, Seattle residents are still waiting to see the city’s proposal for how to guide development in the next decades.

1 minute read

November 1, 2023, 11:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Mount Rainier

CK Foto / Shutterstock

In an opinion piece for The Stranger, Calvin Jones, Tiffani McCoy, and Doug Trumm call on Seattle’s Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) to release its long-awaited draft comprehensive plan update, known as One Seattle, originally scheduled for public release in April. The plan will guide housing development in the next two decades and will have a major impact on housing supply and affordability, but the public has yet to get a look at it.

“The City must complete the next update by the end of 2024, leaving the public precious little time to digest the plan, comment, and ensure that it allows Seattle to grow in an equitable, affordable, and sustainable way over the next two decades.” For the authors, a “failure to release the draft plan ahead of the November elections would amount to a loss for local democracy.” They point out that what was originally an 18-month process has now been condensed into less than a year.

In the authors’ view, “It’s never too late to do better. OPCD can release its draft One Seattle Plan ahead of the November 7 general election and prioritize public input from historically marginalized communities thereafter.”

Thursday, October 26, 2023 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.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight