A package of stackable density bonuses could make it easier for developers to build 12-plexes.
A new series of density and height bonuses in Seattle’s comprehensive plan update could unlock a new supply of multiplex apartment buildings of up to 12 units.
As Doug Trumm explains in The Urbanist, “Builders able to stack incentives could build 12-unit multiplex apartments, in some cases, where formerly just one primary single family home and two accessory dwelling units were allowed.”
Although officials expect townhomes will make up the bulk of new construction, there are now more avenues for developers to take advantage of the incentives and build more units.
Other changes that could boost housing include density bonuses for three-bedroom units near schools and projects that plant or protect trees. The city also plans to implement a statewide parking reform law two years early.
Read the full story: Seattle Council Sets the Stage for a Potential Multiplex Boom
Seattle Adopts a New Growth Plan, but Major Zoning Battles are Just Beginning
Approving the comprehensive plan update is just the first step in rewriting the city’s zoning code to accommodate more density and affordable housing.
Seattle Works To Revise Comprehensive Plan
The city has developed five concepts for updating its comprehensive plan to increase density and reverse the legacy of exclusionary zoning.
San Diego wants to limit upzoning law to just 16% of transit-adjacent parcels
The city's planning director says some areas are unfit for immediate upzoning due to a lack of resources or hazards such as wildfire risk.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Chicago breaks ground on $3 billion megadevelopment
The new neighborhood, titled Foundry Park, will one day host 3,700 residences.
Satanic place names
From streams and lakes to valleys and canyons, I mapped more than 1,000 places named after the Devil.
California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO resigns after $600,000 scandal
Under Ian Choudri, the authority used taxpayer dollars to fund first class flights and trips to nightclubs.
Want to study the Missouri River? Soon, you may need unanimous approval from 10 states
Legislation would require 10 governors’ permission to study or build projects moving water outside the basin.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority