In 1994 the city of Seattle created a comprehensive plan to manage growth in the city until 2014. It defined a number of categories of living areas, set targets for growth (which should really be named "estimates") and tried to predict where people would live and work in the future. One underlying goal was the desire to reduce the number of trips in single occupancy vehicles as a percentage of total traffic, a goal I generally do not agree with because it is usually used by bureaucrats to justify restricting residents' choice of transportation in the name of "progress."
Another goal was to make it easier for people to live near their jobs by establishing "Urban Villages" with commercial and high density residential mixed neighborhoods. I like the idea of mixed used buildings, but it is unrealistic to assume very many people will decide to live very close to their jobs, especially if they are corporate employees. People like to have some distance from their workplaces so they can develop a life outside of work.
The comprehensive plan is slated for amendment in 2004. I attended a workshop two weeks ago to get community input on what should be considered in the amendment process. It was interesting to learn how neighborhood leaders are thinking about the plan and what they value in it. Most of the comments were about how to address neighborhoods that have exceeded their growth targets, whether that should trigger automatic reassement of their needs under the plan. Slight consideration was given to neighborhoods that are under their targets (such as Crown Hill). No real consideration was given to changing the location, shape and size of the urban villages, something that needs to be done as the city evolves to meet the needs of its residents.
One of the major benefits of going was getting a complete copy of the comprehensive plan on CD. Because of its size, I am not going to post it here. It is available at the city's website, and you can get your own CD from the Department of Planning and Development. It is worth a quick look through: all the neighborhood plan goals are referenced, and there are maps of utilities and other points of interest (I found out that my house is near a major high-pressure gas line). Here are the sections, with links:
Title Page
Table of Contents / Comp Plan's Legislative History, Vision, and Application
Land Use - part 1
Land Use - part 2
Transportation
Housing
Capital Facilities
Utilities
Economic Development
Neighborhood Planning - 1
Neighborhood Planning - 2
Neighborhood Planning - 3
Neighborhood Planning - 4
Human Development
Cultural Resources
Environment
Appendices - Table of Contents
Land Use Appendices - 1
Land Use Appendices - 2
Transportation Appendices
Housing Appendices
Capital Facilities Appendices
Utilities Appendices
Economic Appendices