Based on a history of park-friendly ordinances, Seattle parks and urban forests are largely off-limits to developers. Landowners who flout these regulations must provide the city with an adjacent and equivalent parcel.
Seattle is becoming a very attractive place to live, going by real estate prices at least. "With more density and higher property values, it seems possible a developer might call up the Parks Department and make an enticing offer. Could Seattle parks be turned into housing developments?"
Overall, the answer appears to be a resounding no. From the 1970s onward, Seattle residents have been adamant that parkland remain protected. After a series of proposals to develop park land failed at the voting booth, "In 1997, the city passed the Initiative 42 ordinance, which makes it nearly impossible to develop city land designated for park purposes."
"According to the initiative, the first step to turning even a single square foot of parkland begins with a public hearing. Then the city must pass an ordinance saying there's no reasonable alternative. Then the city would have to receive a piece of land of equal or better size and value in exchange."
Typically only individual landowners, not big developers, have taken advantage of this provision, and then only "in exchange for several square feet."
Read the full story: Why Have Seattle's Urban Forests Dodged Development?
Santa Monica Mountains Acquires More Land For Conservation
The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority has acquired the final 150 acres of the 325-acre Triangle Ranch open space in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Luxury Condos, Not Luxury Single-Family Homes, Take the Blame in the Affordability Debate
An article in The Urbanist suggests the ire over new developments is misplaced.
State Law Allows for Local Reform of the Washington State Environmental Policy Act
Reform of the Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) is underway at the local level after a new state bill offered "safe harbor" under the law for a menu of land use and development reforms.
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.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
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