Matt Hutchins Profile picture
Architect, urbanist, advocate, Seattle planning commissioner. Find me elsewhere at @matthutchinsaia or https://t.co/jfKf5yFIvb
Nov 2, 2022 7 tweets 3 min read
Case Study-Jansen Court by CAST architecture
Single stair, 4 story (1 down) 10 unit studio apt, developed on the back half of a 30' lot.

The complexity of regulations are magnified on a small project, making it quite the puzzle. We are right up against nearly every code limit. First, site design: setbacks, facade length, exiting and amenity areas dictate the footprint.
Apr 12, 2022 8 tweets 3 min read
I want to illuminate why relying on additional upzones in the urban villages or tweaks to their boundaries is not the way forward given Seattle’s projected population growth and our current housing price spike. 1/8 Image For context, King County is projected to add nearly another Seattle in population in the next 25 years (nearly 700K) and the region will add 1.8 million people. 2/8
Dec 18, 2021 8 tweets 5 min read
Evolving as we grow:
For the #SeattleCompPlan one big question is how to make room new people, fight climate change and undo inequities baked into Single Family vs Urban Villages.

We shouldn’t expand urban hubs, we should rethink all of it. Here’s one way:
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#seattle6 ImageImage people might be shocked at a proposal to eliminate side yards in SF zoning, citing lost of trees, daylight, open space

Let’s assume we add new a ton of new households, what is the best outcome for a livable, sustainable land use pattern?

Start with a typical block:

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Jul 15, 2020 15 tweets 5 min read
Reforming Seattle’s Single Family Zoning: Three Truths:

Truth 1) We've outgrown the urban village strategy. It has been a great success for locating 80% of the housing built over the last 20 years in proximity to transit, but we can't expect the same 6% of land to house the next generation of Seattleites--at least another 100,000 people by 2040. (Seattle Planning Commission)

2/