Land Use & Planning Terms#

Comprehensive Plan#

A city’s long-range plan for growth, land use, transportation, parks, and utilities. Required by Washington’s Growth Management Act. Seattle’s comp plan is updated on major cycles (most recently 2024) and guides zoning and investment decisions for 20+ years.

Why it matters: The comprehensive plan is the single most important policy document for Seattle’s future. It determines where growth goes, what gets built, and how the city invests. The 2024 update was a major battleground over density, equity, and neighborhood change.

See also: GMA, Zoning

Learn more: Seattle OPCD: One Seattle Plan | Seattle City Council: 2025 Comprehensive Plan

Concurrency#

A Growth Management Act requirement that infrastructure (roads, water, sewer, schools) must be adequate to serve new development at the time it’s built – or within a set timeframe. Development can be denied if infrastructure isn’t available.

Why it matters: Concurrency requirements can be used to block or delay housing projects if cities claim infrastructure is insufficient. Reform advocates argue concurrency has been weaponized to prevent density. The GMA has been updated to prevent concurrency from being used as a de facto growth moratorium.

See also: GMA, Comprehensive Plan

Learn more: MRSC: Concurrency | WA Commerce: Growth Management Act

Displacement Risk Index#

A composite mapping tool created by Seattle’s Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) that forecasts which neighborhoods face elevated risk of displacing marginalized populations. The index combines five categories of indicators: socio-demographics, transportation qualities, neighborhood characteristics, housing market pressures, and civic engagement levels.

Why it matters: The Displacement Risk Index directly shapes Seattle’s zoning decisions. During the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan debates, the Harrell administration initially proposed using the index to justify lower-density zoning (triplexes instead of fourplexes) in “high displacement risk” areas like the Central District, Rainier Valley, and Lake City. This sparked controversy over whether limiting housing supply actually prevents displacement. The index was updated from its original 2016 version to a 2022 version with improved methodology and responds to House Bill 1220’s requirement that cities evaluate displacement risk and implement anti-displacement policies.

Learn more: Seattle OPCD: Displacement Risk Indicators | The Urbanist: Seattle Releases Comprehensive Plan Less Ambitious Than Bellevue

EIS (Environmental Impact Statement)#

A detailed study of a project’s or plan’s environmental effects, required under SEPA for major actions. Covers traffic, noise, shadow, displacement, and more.

Why it matters: EIS processes can add years and millions of dollars to projects. They’re an important environmental protection but also get used strategically to delay development or infrastructure. Understanding when an EIS is required helps you follow major project timelines.

See also: SEPA

Learn more: WA Ecology: Overview of SEPA

Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD)#

A planning approach that combines transit-oriented development with explicit anti-displacement and community ownership strategies. Unlike conventional TOD, which focuses primarily on density near transit, ETOD prioritizes removing speculative pressures, banking land for community ownership early, and ensuring existing residents benefit from transit investments.

Why it matters: Seattle launched an ETOD initiative in response to displacement pressures that followed light rail expansion through the Rainier Valley. The City is leveraging a $1.75 million Federal Transit Administration grant to apply ETOD principles to the West Seattle and Ballard Link Extension corridors. ETOD represents a shift in how Seattle approaches station area planning – rather than letting the market determine who benefits from transit investments, ETOD seeks to proactively acquire land for affordable housing and community facilities before speculation drives up prices.

Learn more: Seattle OPCD: Equitable Transit Oriented Development | The Urbanist: State Must Pass Transit-Oriented Housing Rules Prioritizing Equity

Form-Based Code#

A zoning approach that regulates building form (height, setbacks, facade design) rather than use (residential, commercial, industrial). Emphasizes how buildings relate to streets and public spaces rather than what happens inside them.

Why it matters: Traditional use-based zoning separates housing from shops and offices, creating car-dependent sprawl. Form-based codes allow mixed uses while ensuring buildings create good streetscapes. Seattle hasn’t fully adopted form-based code, but elements appear in design guidelines and recent zoning reforms.

See also: Zoning, Design Review

Learn more: MRSC: Development Regulations and Zoning | Form-Based Codes Institute

GMA (Growth Management Act)#

Washington state law (1990) requiring urban areas to plan for growth, protect rural land, and provide infrastructure. Mandates comprehensive plans and urban growth boundaries.

Why it matters: The GMA is why Seattle has to plan for growth rather than sprawling indefinitely. It’s the legal framework behind comprehensive plans, urban growth boundaries, and concurrency requirements. Recent GMA updates have pushed cities toward more housing production.

Learn more: MRSC: Growth Management Act Basics | WA Commerce: Growth Management

MUP (Master Use Permit)#

Seattle’s combined land use permit that bundles zoning approvals, environmental review, and design review into a single application. Required for most new construction and major alterations.

Why it matters: The MUP process is where most development projects get approved (or denied). Understanding MUP timelines and requirements helps advocates track projects in their neighborhoods. MUP decisions can be appealed, making them a key intervention point for both supporters and opponents of development.

See also: Design Review, SEPA

Learn more: Seattle SDCI: Land Use Division | Seattle SDCI: How to Get a Permit

Middle Housing Model Ordinance#

A state-created zoning code developed by the Washington Department of Commerce that automatically supersedes local regulations if cities fail to comply with HB 1110’s middle housing requirements by their deadline. The model ordinance establishes development standards for duplexes through sixplexes, townhouses, courtyard apartments, cottage housing, and stacked flats.

Why it matters: The model ordinance acts as a “default” code that creates a floor for housing capacity statewide. For Seattle, the compliance deadline was June 30, 2025. If the city hadn’t adopted compliant regulations, Commerce’s model code would have automatically taken effect – and housing advocates noted it was actually more generous than Seattle’s initial proposals. The final 2024 model code allows buildings roughly 80% larger than what Seattle proposed, with more flexible setbacks, lot coverage, and floor area ratios. This dynamic – where the state’s backstop code is more permissive than local proposals – has reshaped negotiations between cities and housing advocates.

See also: HB 1110, Missing Middle Housing, GMA

Learn more: WA Commerce: Planning for Middle Housing | The Urbanist: State Improves Model Code to Promote Middle Housing

Neighborhood Centers#

A new land use designation in Seattle’s One Seattle Plan, applied to approximately 30 locations where existing small commercial districts provide anchors for surrounding residential areas. Neighborhood Centers receive modest zoning increases extending about 800 feet (1-3 blocks) from commercial cores.

Why it matters: Neighborhood Centers represent a shift from concentrating all growth in urban villages. They’re intended to bring small-scale density and walkable amenities to more neighborhoods. The designation has been contentious, with debates over which areas should be included and how much density to allow.

Learn more: Seattle OPCD: One Seattle Plan | The Urbanist: Op-Ed on Neighborhood Centers

Regional Centers / Urban Centers#

The new hierarchy of growth centers in Seattle’s One Seattle Plan. Regional Centers (Downtown, Northgate, University District, etc.) are the most intensive growth areas. Urban Centers are the next tier, including places like the Central District, Fremont, and Columbia City. These replace the old “urban center” and “hub urban village” designations.

Why it matters: The center hierarchy determines where the most growth goes and what zoning is allowed. Regional Centers will see the tallest buildings and most intensive development. Understanding which tier your neighborhood falls into helps predict future changes and advocacy opportunities.

Learn more: Seattle OPCD: One Seattle Plan | The Urbanist: Seattle Releases Comprehensive Plan

SDCI (Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections)#

The city agency that issues building permits, enforces codes, and administers design review. Formerly called DPD (Department of Planning and Development) until a 2016 reorganization.

Why it matters: SDCI is the agency you’ll interact with for any building project, from ADUs to apartment towers. Understanding SDCI’s processes, timelines, and decision-making helps navigate the permit system. Their online permit portal lets you track projects in your neighborhood.

See also: Design Review, MUP

Learn more: Seattle SDCI | Seattle SDCI: Permit Portal

SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act)#

Washington’s environmental review law. Requires government agencies to evaluate environmental impacts before approving projects, plans, or permits.

Why it matters: SEPA review is a common step in development and planning that can significantly affect timelines. It’s also a tool that community members can use to raise concerns about projects. Knowing what SEPA covers helps you participate meaningfully in public comment periods.

Urban Growth Boundary (UGB)#

A line on the map separating urban areas (where growth is directed) from rural areas (which are preserved). King County’s UGB limits sprawl and concentrates development.

Why it matters: The UGB directs growth into urban areas rather than allowing outward sprawl. It directly shapes the density debates within city limits.

See also: GMA, Comprehensive Plan

Learn more: King County: Urban Growth Capacity Report | MRSC: Growth Management Act Basics

Urban Village#

Seattle’s planning designation for neighborhood centers that are targeted for growth. Includes hubs like Capitol Hill, the U-District, and Ballard, as well as smaller “residential urban villages.” Created in the 1994 comprehensive plan.

Why it matters: Urban villages have been the framework for where Seattle directs growth for 30 years. The 2024 comp plan update is shifting away from this model toward more distributed growth, which is a significant conceptual change.

See also: Comprehensive Plan

Learn more: Seattle OPCD: One Seattle Plan | Seattle 2035 Comprehensive Plan

Zoning#

Government rules that dictate what can be built where – building height, density, use (residential, commercial, industrial), setbacks, lot coverage, etc.

Why it matters: Zoning is the fundamental tool that shapes what Seattle looks like. Almost every land use debate comes down to zoning. If you understand zoning basics, you can follow most development controversies.

See also: FAR, Upzoning, Comprehensive Plan

Learn more: Seattle SDCI: Codes | Seattle Interactive Maps (includes zoning layers)

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