How do zoning laws and urban planning decisions impact housing availability and affordability in your Urban Village?

 

• In othello, the mandatory housing affordability program requires affordable housing to be built which leads to many more affordable homes and lower median home price than in other urban villages (such as ballard for example)

• A lot of laws about where business can goes which causes a division between where business and multifamily homes are vs where single family homes are which tend to be away from noise pollution and in nicer areas (NE 130th Urban Village)

 

How accessible is your Urban Village by public transportation? Who benefits most from this accessibility?

 

• Light rail goes straight through othello, as well as a stop in northgate near the 130th urban village

• Ballard has some access to bus lines, but not as many as fremont does, ballards main bus line being the 40 or 44. that said, the 40 can take you to a light rail station

• 130th has a lot of commuters due to schools being nearby, Ingraham driving most of the foot traffic there. The E line is also frequently used to get up north from further south seattle.

• The people who benefit the most from this accessibility are those who live near bus or light rail stations and those who can get places without cars

• What types of housing (e.g., single-family, multifamily, low-income, luxury) are most common in your area? Why?

 

• In wealthier areas, Single family homes that are older or renovated are more common. This is because of strict housing laws that make developing new homes and multi-use buildings almost impossible.

• In Othello there are many different types of housing such as single and multi-family homes as well as condos and things like town houses. Single family homes are still the most common however.

• Are community assets (like parks, businesses, cultural centers) being designed for the people who live there now, or for the people developers want to attract?

• Roosevelt and Greenlake : The urban village itself is trying to get affordable housing and community spaces as it grows from the light rail. However, this easy access to the city causes more higher income residents which drives housing costs up. They try to keep Roosevelt Highschool as centrality in the neighborhood and is a important community asset. As development continues I doubt that less wealthy residents will be able to live in the urban village itself as it is in the process of being gentrified and will have to live in surrounding areas

• Is Seattle’s push for density and mixed-use development genuinely about sustainability, or is it about maximizing profit for developers? - Research/Opinion

 

• I think that the push to density and mixed-use development is a combination of the two because I think everyone knows that the low density is an issue but don't fully try to develop at the pace is needed. Obviously the city wants to try to limit its carbon footprint but the insane price of trying to develop dense housing has made it really hard to get this plan on track. So development usually leads to more expensive housing or no housing at all.

 

• How do commercial, industrial, or mixed-use zoning policies impact the demographic composition of your area? - Research

The zoning laws policies of Roosevelt/Green Lake try to promote growth in the area by trying to keep existing residents in the area and also trying to attract new residents by building new housing and transit. Try to stop existing communities from being displaced.

• What role do community organizations and local businesses play in shaping the demographics of your area?- Research/Opinion

Neighborhood associations try to push toward more affordable housing to all people and try to change zoning policies to make better housing. There is a community that have influenced transit-oriented development with the addition of the new train station. They try to keep the neighborhoods character by trying to attract families and people that are more outdoorsy because to the close proximity to green lake and all the outdoor activities that are available. Many community events and community centers. Lots of independent businesses in the area that are supported by families and residents and attract younger adults for employment and. Some gentrification pressure as house prices continue to go up.

• How does the built environment reflect or obscure the cultural values of the people who live there?

Green Lake's and Ravenna Parks trails and bike paths makes residents have easy access to green spaces and value nature. There a multiple sports playing fields from Dahl Field, Eckstein Playfield, and Lower Woodland Playfield makes the area a hotspot for sports training and games. There have been many measures to the Villages main road NE 65th street to try and slow down traffic and prioritize pedestrians. The denser buildings around the Transit hub suggest how transit is big a cultural value. Many thriving independent businesses suggest a supportive local economy

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