New multifamily residential parking requirements for four Seattle urban center villages--the First Hill neighborhood, a portion of the University District, and the Pike/Pine and Capitol Hill neighborhoods--became effective June 9, 2005.

Parking requirements have been reduced to reflect car ownership patterns in these urban neighborhoods, as follows:

• First Hill Urban Center Village - 0.5 parking space per unit
• Pike/Pine Urban Center Village - 0.5 parking space per unit
• Capitol Hill Urban Center Village - 1 parking space per unit
• University District Northwest Urban Center Village - 1 parking space for each unit with two or fewer bedrooms; 1.5 spaces for each unit with three bedrooms, plus 0.25 space for each bedroom in units with more than three bedrooms

These Land Use Code amendments, contained in Ordinance 121792, are intended to further the City’s goal of revitalizing urban center villages. Urban center villages are areas designated by Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan as good locations for employment and housing. They are well-served by transportation and a network of local businesses, and therefore require fewer car trips.

Because these changes are based on demand data and policy objectives of supporting transit, the legislation also amended the Seattle Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), so that environmental conditioning will no longer be used to require more parking than the minimum established in the Land Use Code.

The City Council is also currently reviewing the Mayor’s Neighborhood Business District Strategy, which is intended to broadly strengthen the city’s neighborhood commercial areas, enhance housing opportunities, and reinforce pedestrian values. If adopted, these recommendations will further address parking requirements for all uses, including multifamily residential buildings, in all commercial zones.