Seattle’s council just sent a message: canopy first. In action this weekend, lawmakers tightened tree-preservation rules and delayed broader moves to expand housing options citywide—despite a state framework (HB 1110) allowing more multiplexes in “Neighborhood Residential” areas. Coverage from The Urbanist frames the vote as cautious on commerce and intensity, noting that today’s council went beyond state minimums in several spots while keeping some neighborhood retail flexibility out of the package. Why it matters: Seattle sits at the crossroads of three pressures—housing scarcity, heat and flooding risk, and a political map that’s shifted since the last housing surge. Stronger tree rules are popular (shade, stormwater, neighborhood character). But every stricter inch on preservation can mean a tighter belt on housing feasibility, especially on small infill lots where design trade-offs are real. The city says Phase 1 zoning changes will still allow more housing types to comply with state law; critics argue the council missed a chance to green-light small neighborhood commerce that reduces car trips and anchors everyday life. “Both/and” planning is hard. Seattle is trying to hold canopy and capacity at once, but sequencing matters. If tree rules land first and housing rules later, the market adapts to the stricter constraint, not the promise of future flexibility. The smarter route is to release clear pattern books (massings that meet tree targets) and pilot by-right corner retail with strict performance standards. The goal: small-scale density, more local shops, and trees that actually live.

Read full article here.