Comprehensive Plan
What is the Seattle Comprehensive Plan?
Over the next 20 years Seattle is expected to reach one million residents and add nearly 170,000 jobs. The Growth Management Act (GMA) provides a framework for how cities and counties manage future population and employment growth through comprehensive plans.
The Seattle Comprehensive Plan is a blueprint that guides where and how we add homes, businesses, transportation, utilities, parks, and more as we grow. The Plan also directs growth in a way that supports livability, equity, and sustainability – ensuring our city remains a vibrant, inclusive place for generations to come.
The Plan shapes City rules, like zoning and development standards, policies, and programs across many City departments. It follows and supports the state Growth Management Act, Puget Sound Regional Council’s VISION 2050 plan, and King County Countywide Planning Policies.
The One Seattle Plan Comprehensive Plan Update (Council Bill 120985) was adopted by City Council on December 16, 2025, and went into effect on January 21, 2026.
What's Happening Now?
Neighborhood Residential Clean Up Legislation
Neighborhood Residential Clean Up draft legislation and SEPA materials were released on October 26, 2026. We are accepting comments on the draft legislation as well as SEPA materials until November 9, 2026. We plan to transmit this legislation to Council in late 2026.
Addressing the Growth Management Hearings Board Decision and Creating a Livable Seattle for All (October 2026)
On September 9, the Central Puget Sound Growth Management Hearings Board (GMHB) issued a decision on a legal challenge to our Comprehensive Plan.
The decision upheld the City’s Comprehensive Plan including our racial equity in housing and water infrastructure planning.
Unfortunately, the Board found our environmental impact statement (EIS) inadequate because the City did not analyze the “maximum possible development.” The Board has required the City to redo this technical analysis based on the “maximum possible development” rather than the 20-year growth estimates typically used.
This supplemental analysis is due in one year and we will start work on it immediately. The Comprehensive Plan and associated zoning changes adopted by City Council remain in effect while we prepare the new analysis.
At the same time, Mayor Wilson supports City Attorney Erika Evans’ decision to appeal the GMHB ruling in court.
Visit our Daily Plan It Blog for more information.
Zoning Implementation
A central component of the Comprehensive Plan is the growth strategy, which provides high level direction for zoning legislation that allows different types and intensities of development across the city. Zoning to implement this most recent update to the Plan is being adopted in several phases.
Phase One: Middle Housing in Neighborhood Residential Zones
In December 2025, the City of Seattle passed Council Bill 120993 as permanent legislation to allow middle housing in neighborhoods across the city. This legislation became effective on January 21, 2026. Middle housing includes a variety of attached and detached housing types – townhomes, duplexes, cottage housing, and stacked flats. This legislation also allowed for up to four units on a typical lot.
This legislation implemented a comprehensive update of the rules for Neighborhood Residential zones and implemented changes in Lowrise and Midrise zones to comply with Washington State House Bill 1110. The legislation also changed areas previously zoned Residential Small Lot to Lowrise or Neighborhood Residential. This legislation became effective on January 21, 2026.
Read the legislation or for more information about these zoning updates:
Phase Two: Centers and Corridors
On January 29, 2026, we released and transmitted to Council updated Centers and Corridors legislation to allow more apartments and condos in Neighborhood Centers, in new and expanded Urban Centers, and along frequent transit routes. Centers and Corridors also makes minor changes to development standards in Lowrise (LR) and Midrise (MR) zones.
Adoption of this legislation is currently delayed because of ongoing legal appeals of the City’s EIS.
- Summary of the Centers and Corridors Legislation (January 2026)
- Text of the Centers and Corridors Legislation (January 2026)
- Interactive map of proposed rezones
- Memo on displacement impacts (March 2026)