Seattle Urbanism Guide#

A practical guide for people who want to make Seattle a better place to live, move, and grow.

Seattle is changing fast. New transit lines, zoning reforms, bike lanes, housing policy – there’s a lot happening, and it can be hard to know where to start. This guide exists so that when you show up to a community meeting, open house, or public comment period, you can actually follow the conversation and contribute meaningfully.

Who this is for#

  • You just moved to Seattle and want to understand how the city works
  • You care about housing, transit, or walkability but feel lost in the jargon
  • You want to get involved but don’t know where to start
  • You’ve been to a community meeting and felt like everyone else knew something you didn’t

How to use this guide#

Quick Start#

Start here. A plain-language overview of Seattle’s urban landscape – who decides what, what’s being built, and what the big debates are.

Glossary#

Look up urbanist terms you’ve heard but can’t quite define. ADU, SEPA, TOD, Complete Streets – we break them all down.

Timeline#

Seattle’s urbanism story didn’t start yesterday. See the key decisions, plans, and turning points that shaped the city.

Get Involved#

Find advocacy organizations working on transit, housing, and walkability. Join groups like Seattle Neighborhood Greenways, Transit Riders Union, and Seattle Subway.

Guides#

In-depth guides on micro mobility, the bike network, mass transit, and other urbanism topics – with history, data, and resources.

Stay informed with publications and writers covering Seattle urbanism – The Urbanist, Seattle Transit Blog, and more.

Data#

Access public dashboards and reports on transportation, housing, and planning from city, county, regional, and state sources.

Blog#

Deeper dives, analysis, and updates on what’s happening now.

What this is not#

This isn’t a news source (see Recommended Reading for those). It’s not an advocacy org (see Get Involved for those). This is a reference guide – a place to build your understanding so you can engage with those resources and your community more effectively.

This is an open-source project. If something is wrong, incomplete, or confusing, help us fix it.